LIFT UPGRADING PROGRAMME FOR POTONG PASIR

LIFT UPGRADING PROGRAMME FOR POTONG PASIR: The following Question stood in the name of Mr Chiam See Tong -

17. To ask the Minister for National Development whether Potong Pasir will be selected for the Lift Upgrading Programme before 2014 and whether he is aware that 63 lifts in the area are more than 20 years old and should definitely meet HDB’s criteria for the selection.

Mr Low Thia Khiang (Hougang): Question No. 17, Sir.

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien:

(for the Minister for National Development): Mr Speaker, Sir, as Mr Chiam is aware, the Government has made a commitment to complete the Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP) for all eligible blocks by 2014.

The LUP is a massive, nation-wide programme. There are still about 1,500 HDB blocks eligible for LUP that remain to be selected, including those in Potong Pasir. Given the limited upgrading resources and capacity constraint of the construction industry, it is not possible to offer LUP to all of these blocks at the same time. HDB needs to prioritise amongst the many eligible precincts and spread out the works over a few years. Residents of the eligible blocks will be informed when their blocks are selected for LUP.

The Town Councils Act was amended in 2005 to allow Town Councils to carry out the Town Council Lift Upgrading Programme (TC-LUP). Many TCs have carried out or intend to carry out TC-LUP using their sinking funds. Potong Pasir Town Council has not yet nominated any blocks for TC-LUP. The Town Council should do its part to carry out TC-LUP for its eligible blocks, to speed up lift upgrading for the benefit of its residents.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Sir, I would like to ask the Minister of State whether Potong Pasir will be given lift upgrading before 2014. I do not think she has answered that question.

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Sir, the Government has basically given a commitment to provide lift upgrading for all eligible blocks before 2014, including Opposition wards.

3.00 pm

Mr Speaker: Order. End of Question time.

[ Pursuant to Standing Order No. 22(3), Written Answers to Question Nos. 18 and 21-23 on the Order Paper are reproduced in the Appendix*. Question Nos. 19-20 have been postponed to the sitting of Parliament on 25th February 2008. ]

*Cols. 417-422.