SINGAPORE: Carbon emissions, the use of Personal Mobility Devices (PMDs) and issues to do with the Central Provident Fund (CPF) scheme will be discussed when Members of Parliament (MPs) meet in Parliament on Monday (Nov 4).
Three Bills will also be introduced during the sitting, while eight are set for a second reading.
AdvertisementAdvertisementMPs Ong Teng Koon and Leon Perera asked for more information on Singapore's carbon emissions.
Mr Ong asked what percentages of the country's carbon emissions are linked to air-conditioning, vehicle transport and waste incineration and how Singapore can become more efficient in these activities.
Similarly, Mr Perera raised questions about the carbon footprint generated by the waste incineration process in Singapore was and whether measures such as carbon capture and sequestration were in place or were being considered to reduce this.
Citing Singapore's first climate rally in September, Nominated MP Anthea Ong asked for a written answer from the Prime Minister on whether the Government is including carbon emission reductions and targets in its Nationally Determined Contribution by 2020.
AdvertisementAdvertisement[h=3]READ: More than 1,700 turn up at first Singapore Climate Rally[/h][h=3]READ: Workers' Party sets out stance on climate change, green issues[/h]At the climate rally, demonstrators called for peak emissions by 2020, halved emissions by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050, said Ms Ong.
She asked whether the Government would declare a "climate emergency to highlight the severity of the climate crisis" and whether it would set a timeline for Singapore to reach net zero emissions.
Also on Parliament's agenda are issues related to the CPF scheme and unclaimed CPF money.
MP Seah Kian Peng asked what can be done to reduce the amount of unclaimed CPF money, while MP Chong Kee Hiong asked for more information on the profiles of those who leave behind unclaimed CPF funds and whether the Government would consider allowing higher withdrawal amounts for those who have no kin to nominate for their funds.
Non-Constituency MP (NCMP) Daniel Goh asked about the efforts taken to return the more than S$200 million in unclaimed CPF funds with no nomination to family members and whether the process could be made easier.
MP Foo Mee Har asked whether the CPF Board would consider changing the CPF nomination process to facilitate the prompt distribution of dead CPF members' funds to their rightful owners.
The use of PMDs will also be on Parliament's agenda, with the issue in the spotlight recently following several accidents, including the death of a 65-year-old cyclist after a crash with a PMD rider in September.
[h=3]READ: Elderly woman injured in Bedok e-scooter collision dies in hospital[/h][h=3]READ: Ban on personal mobility devices? 'The battle is always against errant use'[/h]NCMP Dennis Tan asked whether the Government would review the viability of PMD use in Singapore or introduce new measures, and whether it would consider mandatory safe-riding certification courses.
Since July, authorities have banned the sale of devices that are not UL2272-certified – a set of fire-safety requirements that cover the electrical drive train system of PMDs, including the battery system – as part of efforts to stem the rising number of fires related to their use.
PMDs that do not meet this standard can still be used for now, but will not be allowed on pavements from July next year.
MP Ang Wei Neng asked how many retailers had agreed to stop selling non-compliant devices, and what measures could be taken to stop errant retailers.
Other items on Parliament's agenda include the use of foreign interference tactics and what is being done to protect against them, and what can be done to assist victims of human trafficking.
[h=3]READ: Sentosa's Merlion to go as Sentosa-Brani master plan reshapes islands[/h]The Sentosa Merlion is also slated for discussion, after the announcement earlier this year that the statue would be demolished as part of redevelopment plans.
MP Lee Bee Wah asked what alternatives were explored before the decision was taken to demolish the monument, whether the decision would be reconsidered and if there were plans to build a replacement statue.
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