NATIONAL STATISTICAL COMMISSION OF SINGAPORE (REPEAL) BILL

Order for Second Reading read. 3.48 p.m.

The Minister for Trade and Industry (Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

This is a very simple Bill which seeks to repeal the National Statistical Commission of Singapore Act, 1971. The National Statistical Commission (NSC) was set up in January 1972 as an independent central coordinating agency to foster the development of statistical work in Singapore. Much has been achieved in the past ten years and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the past and present members and staff of the NSC for their hard work. There is today a well developed decentralized statistical system of independent statistical units in Singapore. Each unit reports to its own Ministry and there is close liaison between the Ministries. The Department of Statistics provides the necessary coordination, advisory and training functions.

Sir, the mission of the NSC has been fulfilled and the NSC has worked itself out of a job. The continued existence of the Commission is, therefore, no longer necessary.

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. - [Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam].

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