Parliamentary Questions I filed for January 2026
15 questions this sitting - 9 oral, 6 written. Questions for oral answer in bold.
Health (MOH) - 5 Questions
To ask the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health given that the Monetary Authority of Singapore primarily regulates solvency, whether the Ministry intends to establish a dual-regulation framework to oversee the (i) healthcare outcomes (ii) panel selection criteria and (iii) loss-ratio efficiency of private insurers to ensure they align with national health goals.
To ask the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health given findings that shingles vaccination reduces dementia, including the May 2025 Nature study showing Zostavax causally reduces diagnoses by 20% and the July 2024 Nature Medicine study showing Shingrix is associated with 164 added dementia-free days, whether the Ministry will (i) include dementia prevention savings into cost-benefit analyses for shingles vaccines and (ii) consider extending shingles vaccine subsidies to persons aged 50-59.
To ask the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health following the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore’s clearance of the recent merger between Singapore’s two largest private nursing home operators (a) what is the combined market share of private equity-backed nursing home operators; (b) what percentage of the Ministry’s Build-Own-Lease operating subventions currently flow to such operators versus Voluntary Welfare Organisations; and (c) what safeguards exist against future price increases in an increasingly consolidated market.
To ask the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) what specific technical or regulatory barriers prevent the inclusion of Japan’s Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency and South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety as reference agencies for therapeutic product registration; (b) to what extent does such exclusion delay the registration of medicines optimised for regional populations; and (c) whether the Ministry will conduct a feasibility study on recognising such World Health Organisation Listed Authorities as HSA’s reference agencies, to accelerate drug access.
To ask the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) whether the shift in model from the Community Health Assist Scheme’s means-tested co-payments to Healthier SG’s capitation model signals a departure from the Ministry’s philosophy of shared responsibility in healthcare financing; and (b) without market-based price signals to moderate demand under the capitation model, what specific mechanisms will prevent buffet syndrome and ensure Healthier SG’s long-term fiscal sustainability.
Finance (MOF) & Trade/Industry (MTI) - 4 Questions
To ask the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) whether the Government will review Temasek’s risk-return framework to explicitly value strategic ecosystem building alongside commercial returns; (b) whether the Government has assessed the impact of Temasek’s recent deprioritisation of direct early-stage local investments on Singapore’s ability to nurture nascent high-potential industries; and (c) if so, whether alternative capital support mechanisms will be introduced to fill this gap.
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore is evaluating the reported potential CapitaLand-Mapletree merger and will mandate a formal Phase 1 or Phase 2 review; (b) if so, how will the relevant market be defined to ensure accurate assessment; and (c) whether additional safeguards to protect SME tenants from possible abuse of dominant position in lease renewals will be considered.
To ask the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance for each year over the past decade (a) how many Singapore citizens have transitioned from being tax residents to non-residents and vice versa; (b) what is the breakdown (i) by gender and (ii) by five-year age groups; and (c) what proportion of Singapore citizen tax residents in 2014 have remained so in 2024, as broken down by gender and age.
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) why digital Singapore-based warehouse receipts remain underutilised for financing critical minerals despite the 2021 Electronic Transactions Act (ETA) amendments; (b) whether the Ministry will operationalise section 16Q of the ETA to accredit trusted issuers; and (c) how does Singapore’s framework for metal warrant financing compare to systems already operational in Dubai and the UK.
Defence (MINDEF) - 1 Question
To ask the Coordinating Minister for Public Services and Minister for Defence (a) whether the Ministry has conducted a strategic review of the decision to relocate Paya Lebar Air Base in light of recent global conflicts demonstrating the vulnerability of concentrated air assets to mass drone attacks and long-range munitions; and (b) whether such consolidation of the RSAF’s assets into fewer air bases significantly increases operational risks during a first-strike scenario.
Education (MOE) - 1 Question
To ask the Minister for Education whether the Ministry will consider mandating the transfer of non-pedagogical administrative tasks, such as the management of parental consent forms, monetary collections, and event logistics, from teachers to school administrative and operations personnel to align with the Ministry’s objective of reducing teacher workload.
National Development (MND) - 2 Questions
To ask the Minister for National Development given the rising incidence of Personal Mobility Device battery fires in residential settings, whether the Government will consider piloting fire-rated outdoor charging cabinets in HDB void decks or multi-storey carparks, similar to facilities deployed in New York City and Taiwan, with subsidised electricity rates to incentivise residents to charge devices in these safer communal facilities.
To ask the Minister for National Development in light of the death of a dog captured at Seletar West Farmway 8 (a) whether the Ministry will review the “acceptable parameters” of force, as outlined in the AVS statement of 16 November 2025, and training standards for animal management contractors; and (b) whether the Ministry will formalise collaboration with animal welfare groups to ensure humane handling while maintaining public safety.
Foreign Affairs (MFA) - 1 Question
To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) what are the Ministry’s standard operating procedures, if any, for providing emergency consular aid and ensuring the safety of Singaporeans during overseas crises such as the (i) Brown University shooting on 13 December 2025, (ii) Bondi Beach shooting on 14 December 2025 and (iii) Taipei knife attack on 19 December 2025; and (b) what assistance, if any, was rendered by our overseas missions following the Brown University shooting.
Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) - 1 Question
Redirected from MinLaw.
To ask the Prime Minister whether, following Public Prosecutor v China Railway Tunnel Group, the Government will amend the Prevention of Corruption Act to (i) broaden the legal test for corporate attribution beyond the “directing mind and will” doctrine in common law or (ii) introduce a “failure to prevent” offence similar to the UK Bribery Act, ensuring large corporations cannot evade liability for corruption by senior management.