SINGAPORE CORPORATION OF REHABILITATIVE ENTERPRISES BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

The Minister for Home Affairs (Mr Chua Sian Chin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

The Prisons Reorganisation Committee which was set up to examine the reorganisation of the Prisons Department had recommended that work should be the primary medium for the rehabilitation of prisoners. Work helps to develop discipline. It also equips the prisoner with skill in a particular trade or vocation so that, when he is discharged upon serving his sentence, he could be gainfully employed and be a useful digit in society. This would help the prisoner to readjust himself on his return to society. Work in prisons would also enable every employable inmate to be a productive unit instead of letting him waste away his time.

To date, the Prison Industries has been responsible for organising work programmes for prisoners. It was started in 1965 as a separate section within the Prisons Department. It provides facilities for various trades including woodworking, metalworking, printing, bookbinding, tailoring, footwear and leather craft, canework, timber processing and cement work. But it is only able to cater for a work force Of 1,900 prisoners out of an average of 4,000 prisoners. Even the work force of 1,900 prisoners are not optimally utilised.

The Prison Industries as presently constituted is handicapped by a number of major problems, which include problems of staff, operational difficulties and inadequate work facilities. As on 31st July, 1975, there are 18 vacancies out of an authorised establishment of 74 posts for instructors. It can barely cope with its present work programme and much less carry out a programme of expansion.

To run the prison industries in an efficient manner there must be sufficient flexibility in the recruitment and promotion of key marketing and production staff, purchase of raw materials, contracting of work and so on. There will also be a need to expand or install new facilities and these should be done promptly. Such flexibility .is not available to the Prison Industries Section of the Prisons Department because it has to comply with administrative and finan- cial regulations like all other Government departments. Without the flexibility, private industries competing with the Prison Industries Section will have a decided advantage. On a number of occasions the Prison Industries Section was unable to meet orders because it was unable to maintain adequate stocks of raw materials. There has also been a high turnover and poor recruitment of skilled instructors owing to the more attractive salaries offered by other industries in the private sector.

It is therefore necessary to put the organisation of the productive work in prisons on a new footing. The Prisons Reorganisation Committee examined the idea of forming a private company to run the prison industries but considered it unlikely that such an arrangement would achieve the desired results. Also there would be other problems, such as the heavy capital outlay, high turnover and the special nature of prison labour and the need for physical security.

The Committee therefore recommended that a statutory board be formed to run the prison industries. A statutory board has more flexibility than a Government department and it is not precluded from Government help in the form of a subsidy or a grant. It was therefore decided that a statutory board should be established to run the prison industries. The statutory board will be called the Singapore Corporation of Rehabilitative Enterprises, in brief SCORE. I shall hereafter refer to it as "the Corporation".

The Prisons Reorganisation Committee also found that the existing prisoner-earning scheme is inadequate and does not provide sufficient incentive for hard work. At present, even the most highly skilled and productive worker in prison earns not more than $40 per month. Moreover, these wages do not allow the prisoners to contribute towards the upkeep of their dependants outside.

Together with the establishment of the Corporation, the Government has decided that the prisoner-earning scheme will be revised to take into consideration the prisoners' skill. They will be placed on salary scales which would be comparable to those in the other industries. The revised earning scheme, which will be considered further by the Corporation once it is established, will range from $2.40 per day for an unskilled prisoner to $6.80 per day for a skilled artisan, depending on the product which he is making. Thereafter, prisoners will have to contribute towards their upkeep of board and lodging in prison. Prisoners will, however, be permitted to use a portion of their wages for canteen purchases. The remaining earnings would be credited to a compulsory savings account which would be opened for each prisoner at the Post Office Savings Bank. The prisoner's dependants would be permitted to draw upon his savings while the prisoner is serving his sentence.

I would like now to mention the salient points in the Bill. The Bill is modelled on the Industrial Training Board Act. It provides for the setting up of the Singapore Corporation of Rehabilitative Enterprises. The functions of the Corporation will be:

(a) to manage and maintain the industrial or vocational training institutions transferred to the Corporation and such other institutions as the Corporation may establish for the employment, or industrial or vocational training of prisoners;

(b) to provide or secure the provision of such employment or facilities for such training and to organise programmes therefore;

(c) to provide technical training in skilled trades for suitable prisoners;

(d) to promote the vocational skills of prisoners;

(e) to require any prisoner to work pursuant to section 50 of the Prisons Act; and

(f) to advise the Government on all matters relating to the provision of industrial or vocational training and technical training in trades for prisoners.

The Corporation shall be governed by a Board whose members will be appointed by the Minister. The Board comprises:

(a) a Chairman;

(b) a Deputy Chairman who shall be the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs or his representative;

(c) a representative each from the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Labour and the Industrial Training Board; and

(d) not less than two but not more than ten other members.

It is intended that a successful entrepreneur will be appointed as the Chairman and that there will be sufficient representation of the private sector on the Board. It can be seen from clause 16 of the Bill that the Board will have adequate powers and flexibility to perform the functions entrusted to it.

Industrial or vocational training institutions, for the purpose of training prisoners, which were established by or vested and held by the Government, will be transferred to the Corporation as provided in clause 10. Government employees in these industrial or vocational training institutions, and other Government employees which the Minister may determine, will also be transferred to the Corporation. These employees will be given the option of remaining in the service of the Government. Their rights to pension, gratuity or other allowances payable by the. Government will also be preserved

The Corporation will have a Chief Executive Officer who will be responsible to the Corporation for its proper administration and management. The Minister may also appoint other employees on terms and conditions determined by the Corporation.

Clause 20 stipulates that the Corporation may, with the approval of the Minister, make regulations for the establishment of pension and provident fund schemes for its employees.

Clause 22 confers personal immunity upon members and officers of the Corporation for any action taken by them for the purpose of carrying out the provisions under the Act.

Part VI of the Bi1l contains provisions dealing with the Corporation's financial year, the financial procedure to be adopted by the Corporation, the audit, preparation and publication of annual statements of accounts and reports. Under clause 27, the Minister may make grants, approved by Parliament, to the Corporation to enable it to carry out its functions.

Part VII of the Bill contains miscellaneous provisions dealing with such matters as the common seal of the Corporation, the execution of documents, and the power to make regulations relating to the appointment, promotion, dismissal and disciplinary control of employees.

With the passing of this Bill a major step forward would have been taken towards reforming our penal system.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question proposed.

4.06 p.m.

Mr Yeo Choo Kok (Delta): Mr Speaker, Sir, in his speech the Minister has said that a statutory body is more flexible than a Government department as far as SCORE, as he calls it, is concerned. Can the Minister tell the House in what way a statutory body is more flexible than a Government department?

Mr Chua Sian Chin: Mr Speaker, Sir, much time would be taken if I were to enumerate the `many ways in which the Corporation as a statutory body has greater flexibility. But perhaps I may point out a few examples. For instance, in respect of salary scales for its employees, the Board can work out its own salary scales which need not be approved by the Establishment Division of the Ministry of Finance. It can carry out business dealings or organise the sale of the products of the Prison industry without having to follow Government procedures, and so on and so forth.

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 Chua Sian Chin].

Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.

Mr Speaker: Order. I propose to suspend the Sitting now and will take the Chair again at 4.45 p.m.

Sitting accordingly suspended at 4.13 p.m. until 4.45 p.m. Sitting resumed at 4.45 p.m.