CIVIL LIST

3.45 p.m.

The Minister for Finance (Mr Hon Sui Sen): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move the motion* standing in my name under item No. 2 on the Order Paper.

*The motion reads as follows:

That this Parliament, pursuant to section 7 of the Civil List and Pension Act (Chapter 52), resolves that the Schedule to the said Act be varied by deleting the figures "$214,500", "906,600", "$210,060" and "$2,450" appearing in the second column thereof and substituting therefor the figures "$224,900", "$873,680", "$219,450" and "$17,760" respectively.

Sir, it is proposed to increase the provision for the Privy Purse (Class 1) by $10,400 to meet the 1977 NWC wage supplement. However, the salaries of Personal Staff (Class II) will decrease by $32,920 because of the reduction of eight daily-rated posts due to mechanisation of maintenance work in the Istana Domain.

An increase of $9,390 for Expenses of the Istana Household (Class III) is required mainly to meet rising costs of stores.

A sum of $17,760 has been provided under Special Services (Class IV) mainly for the purchase of an electric jet pump for watering plants in the nursery and the normal replacement of gardening equipment and office equipment and three colour television sets.

It is, therefore, necessary to vary the provisions in the Schedule to the Civil List as follows:

for the "Privy Purse" from $214,500 to $224,900;

for "Salaries of Personal Staff" from $906,600 to $873,680;

for "Expenses of Household" from $210,060 to $219,450:

for "Special Services" from $2,450 to $17,760.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved,

That this Parliament, pursuant to section 7 of the Civil List and Pension Act (Chapter 52), resolves that the Schedule to the said Act be varied by deleting the figures "$214,500", "$906,600", "$210,060" and "$2,450" appearing in the second column thereof and substituting therefor the figures "$224,900", "$873,680", "$219,450" and "$17,760" respectively.