Statistics (Amendment) Bill

Bill No. 9/1990

Read the first time on 2nd March 1990.

An Act to amend the Statistics Act (Chapter 317 of the 1985 Revised Edition).

Be it enacted by the President with the advice and consent of the Parliament of Singapore, as follows:

Short title and commencement

1. This Act may be cited as the Statistics (Amendment) Act 1990 and shall come into operation on such date as the Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint.

New section 3A

2. The Statistics Act is amended by inserting, immediately after section 3, the following section:

“National statistical co-ordinator

3A.—(1) The Chief Statistician shall be the national statistical co-ordinator whose duties shall be —

(a)	to co-ordinate statistical activities in Government departments, Ministries, research and statistics units and statutory bodies;
(b)	to advise Government departments, Ministries, research and statistics units and statutory bodies in the gathering, compiling, analysis and utilisation of statistics;
(c)	to develop national statistical standards and standardize definitions, classifications, terms, procedures and concepts for use in statistical activities; and
(d)	to promote the observance of approved national statistical standards by Government departments, Ministries, research and statistics units and statutory bodies.

(2) All research and statistics units specified in the Second Schedule shall comply with the recommendations of the Chief Statistician on any matter specified in subsection (1)(c) and (d).

(3) If a research and statistics unit specified in the Second Schedule refuses to accept a recommendation of the Chief Statistician, the director of the research and statistics unit shall notify the Chief Statistician in writing of such refusal and the reasons therefor.

(4) On receipt of any notice from a research and statistics unit under subsection (3), the Chief Statistician shall reconsider the recommendation in question, and, in the event of the inability of the Chief Statistician to rescind or revise the recommendation, shall refer the matter to the Minister who shall give directions to the research and statistics unit as he thinks fit and that research and statistics unit shall comply with the directions of the Minister.”.

Amendment of section 4

3. Section 4 of the Statistics Act is amended —

(a)	by deleting the words “and other competent authorities” in the marginal note; and
(b)	by deleting the words “, the director of a research and statistics unit and any other competent authority specified in the Second Schedule,” in the second, third and fourth lines of subsection (1) and substituting the words “or the director of a research and statistics unit”.

New section 4A

4. The Statistics Act is amended by inserting, immediately after section 4, the following section:

“Power to request information from research and statistics units and other competent authorities

4A.—(1) For the purpose of obtaining statistical information relating to any matter to which this Act applies, the Chief Statistician may in writing direct —

(a)	the director of any research and statistics unit specified in the Second Schedule to furnish or supply to him any particulars or information obtained by the director under section 4 pursuant to any requisition issued by the director on or after the commencement of the Statistics (Amendment) Act 1990; or
(b)	any competent authority specified in the first column of the Third Schedule to furnish or supply to him any particulars or information specified in the second column of the Third Schedule and obtained pursuant to any request by the competent authority made on or after the commencement of the Statistics (Amendment) Act 1990,

and, notwithstanding the provisions of this Act or any other written law, the director or competent authority shall furnish and supply those particulars and information within such time as may be agreed to by the Chief Statistician and the director or competent authority, as the case may be.

(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of this Act or any other written law, no person shall be guilty of an offence under this Act or that other written law or of any breach of confidence by virtue merely of his disclosing any particulars or information to the Chief Statistician pursuant to any direction under subsection (1).

(3) Where an amendment to the Third Schedule inserts or deletes and substitutes any particulars or information specified in the second column of the Third Schedule, subsection (1)(b) shall have effect as if for the reference to the commencement of the Statistics (Amendment) Act 1990 there were substituted the date on which the amendment comes into operation.

(4) Subsection (1) shall not apply to any particulars or information obtained under any written law relating to taxation or administered by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

(5) In this Act, “competent authority” means any public officer, or any statutory body established by or under any written law or any officer thereof, being under any obligation imposed by any written law to observe secrecy in respect of any particulars or information obtained by the public officer or the statutory body or officer thereof in the administration of that written law.”.

Amendment of section 5

5. Section 5 of the Statistics Act is amended by inserting, immediately after subsection (5), the following subsection:

“(5A) Where —

(a)	any particulars or information relating to any individual person have been obtained from a competent authority under section 4A(1)(b); and
(b)	the particulars or information were obtained by that competent authority under any written law which restricts the disclosure of information so obtained,

then, in addition to the restrictions imposed by this section and any order under subsection (3), no such particulars or information shall be disclosed without the written permission of that competent authority.”.

Amendment of section 6

6. Section 6(2) of the Statistics Act is amended —

(a)	by inserting the word “or” at the end of paragraph (a);
(b)	by deleting the word “; or” at the end of paragraph (b) and substituting a full-stop; and
(c)	by deleting paragraph (c).

Amendment of section 7

7. Section 7 of the Statistics Act is amended —

(a)	by inserting, immediately after the words “particulars required” in subsection (1)(c), the words “by a requisition”; and
(b)	by deleting the words “, the director of a research and statistics unit or a competent authority” in subsection (2) and substituting the words “or the director of a research and statistics unit”.

Amendment of section 8

8. Section 8 of the Statistics Act is amended by deleting the words “, the director of a research and statistics unit or a competent authority” and substituting the words “or the director of a research and statistics unit”.

Repeal and re-enactment of section 11

9. Section 11 of the Statistics Act is repealed and the following section substituted therefor:

“Amendment of Schedules

11.—(1) Subject to subsection (2), the Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, amend the First, Second or Third Schedule.

(2) The Minister shall not insert or delete and substitute any particulars or information specified in the second column of the Third Schedule without the approval of the Minister responsible for the written law under which those particulars and information are obtained.”.

Repeal and re-enactment of Second Schedule and new Third Schedule

10. The Second Schedule to the Statistics Act is repealed and the following Schedules substituted therefor:

“SECOND SCHEDULE

Sections 3A, 4A, 5 and 11.

Research and Statistics Units

1.	Construction Economic Research Unit of the Construction Industry Development Board.

2.	Research and Statistics Unit of the Economic Development Board.

3.	Research and Statistics Unit of the Ministry of Education.

4.	Research and Statistics Unit of the Ministry of the Environment.

5.	Research and Statistics Unit of the Ministry of Health.

6.	Research and Statistics Unit of the Ministry of Labour.

7.	Statistics Unit, Banking and Financial Institutions Department of the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

THIRD SCHEDULE

Sections 4A, 5 and 11.

Competent Authorities

First column.

Second column.

1.	Superintendent of Census

Particulars and information obtained by the Superintendent of Census under the Census Act (Chapter 35).

2.	Central Provident Fund Board

Particulars and information relating to the employment, employer and wages of Central Provident Fund members obtained by the Central Provident Fund Board under the Central Provident Fund Act (Chapter 36).

3.	Trade Development Board

Particulars and information obtained by the Trade Development Board under section 3 of the Registration of Imports and Exports Act (Chapter 270) and any rules made thereunder.

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