QUARTERS FOR PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD EMPLOYEES

Mr Ho See Beng asked the Minister for Law and National Development if he will consider asking the Public Utilities Board if the Board will consider providing quarters to its employees with rent concession as is done by the Port of Singapore Authority.

Mr E. W. Barker: The answer to the question is `No'.

The Public Utilities Ordinance does empower the Minister to issue to the Board such general directions as appear to him to be required in the public interest. But it is not considered that the question of providing quarters for the Board's employees is one on which any direction should be issued. Rather, it is one for the Board to consider in consultation with its employees' representatives.

As of now, the Board has provided quarters for about 38 per cent of its daily-rated employees at rents ranging from $6 to $16 a month. Free light and water are also supplied with the quarters. With the construction of more quarters in future, the Board expects to provide housing for a larger proportion of its daily-rated employees. At the moment, about 782 units are under construction.

In the case of monthly-rated employees, it is the policy of the Board to provide, wherever possible, quarters for officers who are required because of exigencies of service, to live at or near their place of work. About 30 per cent of the Board's senior officers and about 18 per cent of its junior and subordinate officers at present occupy quarters provided by the Board.

Mr Ho See Beng: Can the Minister inform this House what is the figure represented by 38 per cent of the total number of daily-rated employees who are provided with quarters?

Mr Barker: Mr Speaker, Sir, there is a total number of 4,489 daily-rated employees. Of these, 1,724 are housed.