Parliamentary Questions from Er Dr Lee Bee Wah, 19-20 Nov 2018
1. To ask the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources
(a) how many hawkers have taken part in the Incubation Stall Programme;
(b) how many will be continuing beyond the incubation period; and
(c) for those who will not continue, what are the reasons and how will the Ministry address them.
2. To ask the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources
(a) what challenges do hawkers face under the social enterprise hawker centres initiative;
(b) what kind of pricing model should hawkers and patrons expect under this initiative; and
(c) how is the Ministry addressing the unhappiness resulting from this initiative.
Answer
3. To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry in view of the impending takeover of Kopitiam by NTUC Enterprise
(a) how will the Government ensure that cooked food prices remain low and affordable; and
(b) whether this takeover violates the anti-competition rules.
Answer
4. To ask the Minister for National Development
(a) what is the current take-up rate for the Home Protection Scheme (HPS);
(b) whether it can be made compulsory for all HDB home owners with outstanding housing loans to take up HPS regardless of whether they are using their CPF to service the loans; and
(c) what is the Ministry doing to create more awareness about the importance of HPS and similar schemes.
Answer
5. To ask the Minister for National Development
(a) what is the status of the backlog of unsuccessful applications for two-room BTO flats;
(b) how many of these applicants are singles;
(c) how many more two-room BTO flats will be available in the next three years; and
(d) how does the Ministry plan to increase the supply of two-room BTO flats.
Answer
6. To ask the Minister for Manpower
(a) whether the Ministry will consider lowering the CPF payout age to the retirement age; and
(b) whether exceptions can be made to grant a CPF member an early withdrawal or payout of his CPF funds where the member has no choice but to retire early.
Answer
7. To ask the Minister for Health in the past two years
(a) how many Singaporeans aged 62 and above have made an appeal to use their Medisave beyond the withdrawal limit;
(b) how many of these appeals have been successful;
(c) whether the Ministry can review and increase the withdrawal limit; and
(d) whether the withdrawal limit can be lifted for those aged 80 and above.
Answer
8. To ask the Minister for Manpower in the past three years
(a) how many foreign students have been issued work passes under the Work Holiday Programme;
(b) which types of industries and jobs do they usually work in; and
(c) how has this impacted on jobs and internship opportunities for Singaporean graduates and undergraduates.
Answer