MOSQUITO NUISANCE IN SINGAPORE (Request for statement)

Mr David Marshall asked the Minister for Health and Law whether he would make a statement as to the mosquito nuisance in Singapore.

Mr Byrne: Mr Speaker, Sir, I should like to preface my remarks by informing the House that, in my opinion, mosquitoes are not the only nuisance that we have in Singapore.

Mr A. P. Rajah (Farrer Park): What is the other nuisance?

Mr Byrne: Mr Speaker, Sir, the complaints that we have received over the past three months of this year do not show any apparent increase compared with the corresponding months last year. For example, in March this year there were 62 complaints as compared with 72 in March last year. These complaints are dealt with by the Department which has 16 checkers in the city area and a mobile squad of 14 men in the rural area. As mosquito breeding has often been caused by choked drains - and it is known that hawkers are responsible for this - field officers have on their rounds advised hawkers not to throw rubbish indiscriminately into the drains, and have taken action to clear choked drains.

Mr David Marshall: Are we to understand that the only criterion of the Ministry of the extent of the nuisance is the number of complaints received? Is there no detailed examination by staff of the areas where mosquitoes breed?

Mr Byrne: That is regularly done, Mr Speaker, Sir.

Mrs Seow Peck Leng (Mountbatten): Mr Speaker, Sir, I wonder whether the Minister is aware that complaints do not come in anymore, because the people are fed up as conditions have not improved. And can he ascertain whether complaints have not come in because the situation has improved?

Mr Byrne: Mr Speaker, Sir, if the hon. Lady will come to my office I can show her piles of complaints that I have received. Every month I receive about 10 or 15 complaints.