SALARY OF SPEAKER

7.40 p.m.

The Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs (Prof. S. Jayakumar): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move the Motion* standing in the name of the Minister for Law as it appears on the Order Paper.

*The Motion reads as follows:

That, pursuant to Article 41 of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore, the salary of the Speaker shall be $17,400 per month ($9,500 on part-time appointment) with effect from 1st November, 1982.

Sir, Article 41 of the Constitution provides, inter alia, that the Speaker shall be paid such salary as Parliament may from time to time determine. Following the revision of the consolidated salaries of the Ministers in 1981, Parliament determined, by a resolution of this House passed on 15th June 1981, that the salary of the Speaker should be $12,000 per month with effect from 1st April 1981.

Consequent on the consolidation of the salaries for the civil service, by incorporation of the National Wages Council allowances from 1978 to 1981 into the salary scales with effect from 1st November 1982, the salaries of the Ministers were also similarly revised and rounded up to $16,700 per month with effect from the same date. To maintain relativities and following past practice, the salary of the Speaker should also be revised. The present salary of the Speaker of $12,000 plus the 1978 to 1981 NWC allowances of $5,323.14 total $17,323.14 per month. It is therefore proposed to revise and round up the salary of the Speaker to $17,400 per month with effect from 1st November 1982.

Members are aware that the present Speaker has drawn only slightly more than half the salary determined for that office. He will continue to be paid in the same proportion to the full salary - hence my Motion that he be paid $9,500 per month for so long as he does not devote his full time to the office of Speaker.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved,

That, pursuant to Article 41 of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore, the salary of the Speaker shall be $17,400 per month ($9,500 on part-time appointment) with effect from 1st November, 1982.