HOUSES ON RENTED LAND (Approval of plans for major repairs)

Mr Tay Boon Too asked the Minister for Law and National Development if he will take steps whereby owners of houses, which are on rented land and which are in a dilapidated condition, may obtain the approval of the Chief Building Surveyor of their plans to carry out major repairs which may amount to reconstruction of their houses without having to obtain the permission of the landowner.

The Minister for Law and National Development (Mr E. W. Barker): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Chief Building Sur veyor's Department is prepared to allow repairs to or reconstruction of dilapidated temporary buildings without the landowner's permission provided that the reconstruction is carried out on the same site with no extension of the floor area. In such cases, the applicant is required to submit the following documents:

(1) a sketch plan of the proposed structure;

(2) a temporary permit licence issued by the Chief Building Surveyor's Department to prove that the existing structure is an authorised one; and

(3) either ground rent receipts and/ or property tax receipts to prove ownership of the building.

The above, of course, does not apply to reconstruction of large temporary structures with floor areas in excess of 750 square feet or those structures which may be affected by redevelopment or other public improvement schemes.