PUBLIC UTILITIES (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read. 3.45 p.m.

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

Sir, the amendment proposed in this Bill provide greater flexibility in appointing public officers to the Public Utilities Board; facilitate proceedings of the Board; and incorporate model provisions dealing with the appointment of auditors; keeping of financial records; submission of reports on the Board's accounts and powers and duties of the Board's auditors.

At present, subsection (1) of section 5 of the Public Utilities Act provides for the appointment of only one public officer to the Board. For better administration and guidance, it may be necessary to appoint more than one public officer to the Board. In clause 2 of the Bill, it is proposed to amend subsection (1) of section 5 of the Act to provide for the appointment of more than one public officer.

The existing requirement in subsection (1) of section 10 of the Act is for a majority of the members to form a quorum at meetings of the Board. This has posed practical difficulties when some members are away or unable to attend meetings for urgent reasons. In such circumstances, proceedings of the Board have been delayed. Clause 3 of the Bill seeks to amend subsection (1) of section 10 of the Act by reducing the quorum from a majority to three members of the Board.

The opportunity has been taken to incorporate in the Act certain model provisions which the Auditor-General has recommended for adoption by all statutory boards in their legislation. These provisions are contained in clauses 4, 5 and 6 of the Bill.

Sir, I beg to move.

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]

Clause 1 -

The Chairman: The citation year will be altered from "1977" to "1978".

Clause 1 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clauses 2 to 6 inclusive ordered to stand part of the Bill.

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