DECLINING POPULATION GROWTH (Corrective measures)

Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon asked the Minister for Health, since Singapore is facing the problem of a declining population growth, what measures his Ministry will take to correct this situation.

The Minister of State for Health (Mr Yeo Cheow Tong) (for the Minister for Health): Mr Speaker, Sir, I will answer on behalf of my Minister.

The Ministry of Health has established a Population Planning Unit to make in-depth studies of Singapore's population trends. The Unit will also study the attitudes, motivation and values relating to marriage and family formation held by young Singaporeans. The Unit comprises demographers, sociologists, economists and statisticians.

The Population Planning Unit will consider all possible measures to reverse the present trend of declining fertility and its consequences on our population growth and make its initial recommendations to the Government by the end of the year.