HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD (Priority allocation of flats)

Mr Ch'ng Jit Koon asked the Minister for Law and National Development if he will ascertain from the Housing and Development Board (a) how many statutory boards there are whose employees, who are provided with quarters, are given priority of allocation of the Board's flats on their retirement; and (b) whether this priority is also accorded to employees of the institutes of higher learning or if the Board will consider extending it to them.

Mr E. W. Barker: Mr Speaker, Sir, priority allocation of Housing and Development Board flats is granted to all statutory hoard employees and Government servants who are provided with quarters and are required to vacate them when they retire front service. This priority is not accorded to employees of the institutes of higher learning nor is it intended to extend this privilege to them. Apart from the University of Singapore, institutes of higher learning also include the Nanyang University, Ngee Ann Technical College and the Singapore Polytechnic. It would not be advisable to extend this priority scheme too widely in view of the large number of applicants. In fact, more than 75,000 applicants who have registered to purchase Housing Board flats are still on the waiting list.