SUPPLY BILL

Order for Second and Third Readings read.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (Mr Lee Hsien Loong): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

In accordance with Article 148(1) of the Constitution, heads of expenditure to be met from the Consolidated Fund and Development 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 for the appropriations from the Consolidated Fund and Development Fund to meet expenditures in the financial year 1st April 2003 to 31st March, 2004. 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 and Development Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1st April, 2003 to 31st March, 2004, and appear on pages 24 and 25 of Cmd. Paper No. 4 of 2003.

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 and the Development Fund.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time.

Third Reading

Mr Lee Hsien Loong: 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.