URBAN RECONSTRUCTION SCHEME (Government plan for accommodation and livelihood of residents affected)

Mr Chia Thye Poh asked the Minister for National Development what is the plan of the Singapore Government to ensure accommodation for residents affected by the Urban Reconstruction Scheme, and what steps will be taken by the Government to ensure that their livelihood is not affected by such Scheme.

Mr Lim Kim San: Mr Speaker, Sir, all residents affected by the Urban Renewal Programme are offered alternative accommodation in Housing Board estates as near as possible to the area from which they are being cleared. For instance, in the Crawford area, the residents affected are being offered alternative accommodation either in the Tanjong Rhu or the MacPherson Estate.

Similarly, in the Havelock Road area the residents affected are being offered alternative accommodation in York Hill, Bukit Ho Swee and Queenstown Estate.

It is also open to the residents to choose alternative accommodation anywhere else in other Housing Board Estates where houses are vacant and available.

Shopkeepers affected by the Urban Renewal Programme are offered alternative accommodation in Housing Board Estates where shops which are normally let to the highest tenderer will be reserved and made available at concession rates. There will be difficulties in any such large scale re-allocation of population and all steps will be taken to mitigate and minimise the problems of adjustment in new surroundings. But in the end there will be improvement in the living conditions and the standard of living of all who move in better housing in planned community development.

Mr Chia Thye Poh: (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to ask the Minister for National Development a supplementary question. Does the Government give to all those who are affected by the plan any compensation when asking them to remove?

Mr Lim Kim San: Mr Speaker, Sir, in the Urban Renewal Programme where we move for resettlement one tenant from a shophouse to another, there is no compensation. But where the residents are moved from a squatter area, I think the hon. Member will remember that at the last Assembly sitting the subject of compensation was gone through thoroughly, in fact, we have a new compensation scheme which has been found to be very acceptable by all those whom we have moved.

Mr Chia Thye Poh: (In Mandarin): I would like to ask the Minister, in the case of those who have been asked to remove and when they have been removed to Housing Board estates, what is the rental they have to pay and whether they can still engage in their usual trades in the new estates after they have removed to the new estates ---

Mr Speaker: Order. The Member must understand that he must not make a speech on a supplementary question. The Member should confine himself to asking a supplementary question and I will call upon the Minister to give him a reply.

Mr Chia Thye Poh: (In Mandarin): I want to ask the Minister for National Development this - these people who have been asked to remove to the Housing Board estates, maybe their cost of living will have been raised, whether the Government can give them any aid in this respect?

Mr Lim Kim San: Mr Speaker, Sir, as I say, in business resettlement, there is no compensation. It is impossible to assess the goodwill. In fact, if you were to try to go into it, you would find a small hawker claiming, say, about $20,000 or $30,000. There is no way by which we can measure the goodwill. But we do give householders what we call a "disturbance allowance" of $250 when they move and some transport allowance. I hope that answers the question.