SUPPLY BILL

Order for Second and Third Readings read. 5.19 p.m.

The Minister for Finance (Mr Hon Sui Sen): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

In accordance with Article 85 of the Constitution of Singapore, heads of expenditure to be met from the Consolidated Fund other than statutory expenditure have to be included in a Bill to be known as the Supply Bill. The purpose of the Supply Bill before Members is therefore to give legislative approval to the appropriations from the Consolidated Fund to meet expenditure in the financial year 1st April 1979 to 31st March 1980.

The heads of expenditure and the sums that may be incurred in respect of each head are shown in the schedule to the Bill. These have been approved by the House in the Main Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1st April 1979 to 31st March 1980, and appear on page 23 of Command Paper No. 4 of 1979. I should mention here that the corrigenda(Appendix II, Hansard, 14.3.79, cols. 657-8.) to the various typographical errors in Command Paper No. 4 of 1979 have been issued.

The Supply Bill, when approved, will empower me to issue warrants, authorising expenditure up to the amount for each head as shown in the Bill to be paid out from the Consolidated Fund.

May I take the opportunity here to mention the arrangement which has been made because of the creation of the new Ministry of Trade and Industry. The Minister for Trade and Industry has assumed responsibility for some of the subjects previously handled by me. It was not possible to amend the FY 79 Budget to reflect the change in Ministerial responsibilities and to rearrange the votes under my Head of Expenditure to provide a new Head for the expenditure of the new Ministry. Therefore, the new Ministry will operate under my Head of Expenditure for FY 79 with the Development, Trade and Statistics Programmes under the new Minister. The additional expenditure requirements will be met by the issue of the necessary warrants.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time.

Third Reading

Mr Hon Sui Son: Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Third time."

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Third time and passed.