Update on Government’s Assessment on Raising Cut-off Age for Definition of Young Person in Children and Young Persons Act

Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for Social and Family Development whether he can provide an update on the Government's assessment as to whether to raise the cut-off age for the definition of "young person" in the Children and Young Persons Act from 16 years to 18 years, for consistency with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child which Singapore has acceded to.

Mr Desmond Lee: As stated in Singapore’s combined 4 th and 5 th periodic report submitted in Nov 2017 to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, MSF is assessing, as part of its review of the Children and Young Persons Act (CYPA), the timing to include young persons from 16 to 18 years of age who may require care or protection.

MSF has been working closely with our partners on the CYPA review. We will announce details of this review in due course.