SOCIAL WELFARE HOMES, PUBLIC ASSISTANCE AND BEGGARS, 1975-77

Mr Hwang Soo Jin asked the Minister for Social Affairs, as at 31st December, 1977, (a) how many aged and destitute persons were accommodated at the various Homes; (b) how many girls were accommodated at the various Social Welfare Homes; (c) how many boys were accommodated at the various boys' Homes; (d) how many persons were in receipt of public assistance; and (e) what was the known number of beggars; and if he will give the comparative figures as at 31st December, 1976 and 31st December, 1975.

Dr Ahmad Mattar: As at 31st December, 1977, there were 1,100 aged and destitute persons, 350 girls and 358 boys residing in the various Social Welfare Homes. An analysis of these residents by sex and type of residential institution together with the comparative figures for 31st December, 1975 and 31st December, 1976 is given in the following table: ________________________________________________________________________________ Category Name of Home On 31 Dec 75 On 31 Dec 76 On 31 Dec 77 M F Total M F Total M F Total ________________________________________________________________________________ Aged Home Woodlands Home 461 128 589 414 127 541 412 164 576 for the Aged Destitute Bushey Park 267 -- 267 295 -- 295 286 -- 286 Persons' Home Home Woodstock Home 101 -- 101 93 -- 93 99 -- 99 Woodstock Home -- 131 131 -- 131 131 -- 139 139 (DP) Dormitories A and B Boys' Homes Singapore Boys' 121 -- 121 117 -- 117 108 -- 108 Home (A) Singapore Boys' 51 -- 51 62 -- 62 68 -- 68 Home (B) Perak House 101 -- 101 90 -- 90 95 -- 95 Bukit Batok 29 -- 29 33 -- 33 49 -- 49 Boys' Hostel Pasir Panjang 44 -- 44 28 -- 28 38 -- 38 Boys' Hostel Girls' Homes Toa Payoh -- 171 171 -- 148 148 -- 175 175 Girls' Home (Main Home) Nursery 11 10 21 3 2 5 8 6 14 Mount Emily -- 48 48 -- 59 59 -- 67 67 Girls' Home Jalan Eunos -- 28 28 -- 33 33 -- 16 16 Girls' Home Katong Girls' -- 26 26 -- 26 26 -- 28 28 Hostel Children's Telok Blangah* -- 34 34 2 37 39 2 58 60 Home Children's Home ________________________________________________________________________________ *Telok Blangah Children's Home was a Girls' Home until 10th November, 1976, when it was converted into a Home for Children without behaviour problems.

6,397 households comprising 8,801 persons were in receipt of Public Assistance as at 31st December, 1977. The comparative figures for 31st December, 1975 and 31st December, 1976 are shown in the following table: On On On 31 Dec 75 31 Dec 76 31 Dec 77 Number of Households 6,992 6,288 6,397 Number of Persons 11,036 8,769 8,801

The total number of beggars in Singapore is unknown. However, a number of such persons are apprehended by the Social Welfare Department regularly. Some of them are required to reside in Social Welfare Homes. The number of beggars accommodated in the Homes was 54 as at 31st December, 1975, 68 as at 31st December, 1976 and 75 as at 31st December, 1977.