HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD (Committee to consider evictions of tenants and review of appeals)

Mr J. F. Conceicao asked the Minister for Law and National Development whether, in view of the Housing and Development Board's near monopoly of cheap housing in Singapore and the very grave housing difficulty which may face a person evicted from a Board flat, he will consider setting up a special committee, composed not only of officials and / or members of the Board but also of members of the public, to consider cases of proposed evictions and to review appeals against such evictions.

Mr Barker: Sir, exceptional cases of hardship suffered by those evicted from Housing Board flats are referred for consideration to the Allocations Committee of the Board under the chairmanship of Mr P. Govindaswamy, Member of Parliament for Anson, who also heads the Public Inquiries and Complaints Bureau in the Ministry. Appeals by those evicted or otherwise aggrieved and not satisfied are also made from time to time direct to the Ministry.

In view of the facilities already existing for appeals by those aggrieved, it is considered not yet necessary to set up another body for the purpose.