LAND SURVEYORS BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

The Minister for Law (Prof. S. Jayakumar): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

The position here is similar to the two Bills read just now for a Second time and moved by my colleague, the Minister for National Development. This Bill is identical to the Land Surveyors Bill which was introduced on 9th November 1990 and which was read a Second time on 3rd January 1991. Because Parliament was prorogued in January 1991, the Bill lapsed and accordingly I re-introduced it on 27th February 1991.

Here also, there has been no change to the provisions of the Bill and I may just recapitulate by saying that the Bill enables registered surveyors to form partnership or unlimited companies with persons who practise in related professions in the building and construction industry and also provides for the licensing of such corporations. Other aspects of the Bill are to abolish the prescribed scale of fees payable to registered surveyors, to enlarge the powers of the Land Surveyors Board in disciplinary matters, and to provide for the issue of practising certificates to registered surveyors.

This Bill, as Mr Dhanabalan pointed out, is related to the two Bills which he moved just now and I agree with his proposal that these three Bills be sent to a single Select Committee and that the representations already received be considered by a single Select Committee.

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved,

That the Land Surveyors Bill be committed to the Select Committee appointed to consider the Architects Bill. - [Prof. S. Jayakumar].