PUBLIC UTILITIES (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

3.50 p.m.

The Minister for the Environment (Mr Lim Kim San): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

Sir, the principal amendments proposed in this Bill relate to Part V of the principal Act. Not only are substantial amendments proposed to the existing Part V dealing with the licensing of eiectrical and supply installation (as defined) but a new Part VA is also proposed, which provides for the licensing of water service workers, such as plumbers.

While drafting the Electricity Regulations, under sections 62 and 88 of the Public Utilities Act, the Public Utilities Board recognised the necessity for recommending amendments to Part V. This Part, as it stands, is limited in its application to private electrical generating plant. The increasing use of electricity in major industries, highrise buildings and shopping complexes poses the problem of ensuring the periodical inspection of electrical installations. The necessity for legislation in this regard is dictated primarily by safety considerations in places of all public concourse. This is further underlined by the recent recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry into the Robinson's Departmental Store fire.

The Commission's first recommendation, Sir, is that for electrical installations of a stipulated higher current rating, consideration be given by the Public Utilities Board to grade the licensing of electrical workers with a view to ensuring that only personnel with the requisite professional expertise and experience be allowed to undertake such work. This has been taken into account in the Electrical Workers and Contractors Licensing Bill, 1974, which is now before the House.

In proposing these amendments, Sir, full consideration has also been given to the second recommendation, that is, for a system of periodic inspection of places of public concourse so that the appropriate authorities may be aware of unauthorised additions or alterations which might endanger the safety of the public.

The amendments proposed to Part V of the Act are significant in that they would have the effect of making it mandatory for all electrical installations, including private electrical generating plants except those owned and operated by the Board, Government, other statutory authorities, or those used exclusively for domestic purposes, to be licensed and to be supervised or operated by such class of licensed electrical workers as are prescribed in the Electrical Workers and Contractors Licensing Bill, 1974, and ensure also that-

(a) a licensee of an installation must cause an installation to be inspected at such intervals as the B'oard may deem necessary;

(b) an inspection as required by a licensee must be carried out by such licensed electrical worker as the Board may direct; on completion of the inspection a Certificate as to the fitness of the installation for licensing purposes must be issued by a licensed electrical worker;

(c) specified procedures are observed in case of dangerous defects in installations;

(d) serious accidents and the investigation thereof are reported;

(e) installations existing before the commencement of the amending Act are subject to the Act and the Regulations.

Sir, although the Board at the present time does operate an administrative system of registering plumbers, it lacks the legal power to regulate the duties and responsibilities of such plumbers. A new Part VA has accordingly been introduced into the Act to remedy this deficiency. A licence granted to a water service worker will specify the scope of the water service work to be carried out and any restrictions in regard to the type of work, or class of water service installation, or the circumstances or manner in which the holder of the licence may perform water service work. New definitions of "water service installation", "water service work" and "water service worker" have been included in this Part.

Section 19 (3) of the Act, as it stands, does not empower the Board to enforce any limitation of supply or to cut off supply made necessary in the public interest. The need for amending this subsection became clear when consideration was being given to the introduction of surcharges in the Tariff Regulations by which the Board sought to limit consumption of electricity to consumers, and in the event of any consumer exceeding that limitation to impose a surcharge. Under the existing provisions, the Board would not be able to cut off the supply of electricity to offenders who flagrantly disregard the limitation of consumption without prosecuting them. Subsection 19 (3) of the Act has, therefore, been amended to confer that power on the Board in this situation or in other situations in which the interests of the public are affected. Again, Sir, a new subsection (4) has been inserted in section 19 to enable the Board to cut off the supply of electricity to any person who operates an electrical or supply installation without a licence.

The other amendments appearing in the Bill have the effect of increasing the penalties for contravention of the Act. The existing penalties have not been changed since 1963 and have therefore ceased to be realistic as a deterrent.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move.

Question proposed.

Mr Ho See Beng: Mr Speaker, Sir, 1 would like to ask a point of information from the Minister. Since the Bill requires every electrician, wireman, and so on, to be registered or qualified before he could handle any electrical work, may I know whether there is any examination board where people who seek to be qualified electricians can be tested?

Mr Lim Kim San: Sir, there are many institutions which conduct courses in electricity. It may lead to a degree, diploma, or a certificate. We on our part have carried out certain examinations in the past - and I think we will continue to do so - to prove that a person who is to be licensed is at least competent to handle electrical work. But we now have the vocational institutes, the Polytechnic, and the University, and I think they should be able to turn out enough electrical workers for our needs.

Mr Ho See Beng: Sir, this information is not enough to satisfy me. At the moment, there are a lot of experienced wiremen, and if this Bill is passed then these people will not be allowed to handle any electrical work. So they want to find out whether there is any examination board to which they can go for a test in order to qualify as licensed electrical workers. Otherwise they will be stranded the moment this Bill is passed.

Mr Lim Kim San: Sir, I do not know if the hon. Member for Bras Basah was present just now when I made my Second Reading speech on the Electrical Workers and Contractors Licensing Bill, but just in case he was not present or that he was not listening, I would like to repeat what I said just now. We have already got 732 licensed persons who in our view are competent to handle electrical work, and this figure excludes 951 contractors. If there are in existence people who feel that they are competent enough to do such work, then I think they should be wise enough to get themselves registered. And if they are left out, obviously they are incompetent.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House.

The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Mr Lim Kim San].

Bill considered in Committee.

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Clauses 1 to 3 inclusive ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clause 4 -

Mr Lim Kim San: Sir, I beg to move, In page 10, line 35, to leave out "injury" and insert "damage".

Sir, this amendment is to rectify a typographical error.

Amendment agreed to.

Clause 4, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clauses 5 to 11 inclusive ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Bill reported with an amendment; read a Third time and passed.