HOUSING BOARD FLATS AND SHOPHOUSES (Allocation to residents of Bajerai Lane and Towner Road)

Inche Abdul Aziz Karim asked the Minister for Law and National Development (a) if he will request the Housing and Development Board to allocate flats or shophouses, according to choice, to the residents of the Bajerai Lane and Towner Road areas who are affected by clearance action; and (b) if he will give an assurance that the Public Works Department and the Letting Section of the Housing and Development Board will co-ordinate their activities in the clearance of those areas so as to avoid any embarrassment or inconvenience to all parties concerned.

Mr E. W. Barker: Mr Speaker, Sir, it is not possible to allocate particular flats or shophouses according to choice to residents affected by clearance action. But, in accordance with the present resettlement policy of the Housing and Development Board, offers for the selection of such clearance cases are always made of flats or shophouses that may be available for allocation from time to time.

The Member can rest assured that clearance schemes are always carried out with the co-ordination of all the departments involved so as to cause as little inconvenience as possible. However, unforeseen difficulties may occur due to clearance in cases insisting on particular types of attractive accommodation and refusing to vacate the site unless such alternative accommodation is offered to them. Often the type of accommodation desired may not be available or available in sufficient numbers to meet every request.

Inche Abdul Aziz Karim: Mr Speaker, Sir, are the flats at the Kallang Basin Estate reserved for people affected by development/clearance action of the Housing and Development Board?

Mr Barker: Some of the flats in Kallang are reserved for people who have been evicted in the vicinity. They are given priority provided they desire to go to Kallang.

Inche Abdul Aziz Karim: Sir, why were vacant flats in the estate mentioned by me earlier not allocated to applicants who were affected by P.W.D. clearance action?

Mr Barker: I am not aware of such cases, but if the Member will send me the particulars I will certainly look into them. But to cite particular cases in this House and ask me the reasons why allocations were not made puts me in a rather difficult position. I have not got the files here.

Inche Abdul Aziz Karim: I have the case file, but anyway we will deal with it later on. Will the Minister accept it that the people affected by P.W.D. clearance action should be treated in the same manner as those affected by Housing and Development Board clearance action as both the departments are under the same Ministry?

Mr Barker: I would say yes.