COMMISSION ON PARLIAMENT STAFF

The Deputy Leader of the House (Mr Mah Bow Tan): Mdm Deputy Speaker, I beg to move,

That this Parliament, noting the Report of the Commission on Parliament Staff as contained in Paper Misc. 5 of 2003, accepts the recommendation of the Commission as contained in paragraph 10 thereof and resolves in accordance with such recommendation.

Madam, in accordance with Article 51(6) of the Constitution of Singapore, a Commission consisting of the Speaker, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, the Leader of the House, the Acting Minister for Education and the Chairman of the Public Service Commission was set up to consider a proposal to adopt a new Parliamentary Scheme (2003) for officers in the Parliamentary Service.

The Commission has presented its Report to Parliament on 15th August 2003. The Commission noted that the Management Executive (MX) Scheme was implemented in the civil service on 1st January 2002 to meet the challenges of new technologies and innovations emerging every day and rising public expectations. The MX Scheme was introduced to carve out a meaningful and rewarding career in the civil service, as an officer can enjoy performance-based pay, clear and timely progress and self-directed career development.

Under the present Senior Officer Scheme, the salary scale comprises an annual fixed increment together with the basic salary, the monthly variable component (MVC) and the non-pensionable component (NPC) and does not include the non-pensionable variable payment (NPVP) (NWC wage adjustments) and non-pensionable variable payment (salary revision). Whereas under the new Management Executive Scheme (MXS), the salary range, which is based on performance, includes all the above components, thus showing the gross salary that an officer draws. The conversion to the new Scheme would not give rise to any increase in salary of the five incumbents.

We are also following the other schemes in the civil service by dropping the reference to "superscale" grades. All the staff under the new scheme will be known as Parliamentary Officers. They will be eligible for annual merit increments if their performance exceeds the requirements of their grade. Any Parliamentary Officer can go up to the apex of the scheme, ie, Grade 7, but he will not automatically be the Clerk of Parliament unless he is so appointed.

The Commission, having considered the Parliamentary Scheme (2003), has advised that this new scheme be applied to officers in the Parliamentary Service, which is at present pegged to the Senior Officer Scheme.

The recommendation of the Commission is contained in paragraph 10 of the Report.

The House is asked to accept the recommendation of the Commission.

Madam, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved,

That this Parliament, noting the Report of the Commission on Parliament Staff as contained in Paper Misc. 5 of 2003, accepts the recommendation of the Commission as contained in paragraph 10 thereof and resolves in accordance with such recommendation.