SERANGOON GARDEN MARKET (Expansion of)

Dr Lau Teik Soon asked the Minister for Law and the Environment whether there is any plan to expand the Serangoon Garden Market and, if not, whether he will consider the possibility of adopting such a proposal.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment (Mr Chor Yeok Eng) (for the Minister for Law and the Environment): (In Mandarin): Sir, there is no plan to expand Serangoon Garden Market as there is no need to do so. The market has 148 stalls of which 44 are still vacant. The Ministry is proposing to allocate these vacant stalls to licensed street hawkers from the surrounding areas.

There is also an NTUC supermarket and a food centre in the Serangoon Garden Estate. The residents are therefore adequately served by these two markets and the food centre.

Mr Ho See Beng (Khe Bong): (In Mandarin): Sir, the Senior Parliamentary Secretary has said that there is no need to expand the Serangoon Garden Market. Is this decision his own or has he consulted the hawkers themselves before making that decision?

Mr Chor Yeok Eng: (In Mandarin): Sir, in my answer I have stated that there are 44 vacant stalls in the existing market. So in view of this, is there a need to expand the market to increase the number of vacant stalls?