HDB HAWKER AND MARKET STALLS (Particulars)

Mr Ivan Baptist asked the Minister for National Development and Communications (a) how many Housing and Development Board hawker and market stalls were allocated monthly for the last six months; (b) how many of those allocated stalls were resettlement cases; (c) how many of those allocated stalls were social welfare cases; and (d) how many more stalls will be available within the next six months.

The Senior Minister of State for National Development (Dr Tan Eng Liang) (for the Minister for National Development and Communications): Mr Speaker, Sir, the number of HDB hawker and market stalls allocated is as follows: Month Number September 1977 245 October 1977 345 November 1977 69 December 1977 51 January 1978 63 February 1978 45 ___ 818

Of the total of 818 hawker and market stalls allocated during the last six months, the total number allocated to resettlement cases and social welfare cases was 81 and 54 respectively. 965 new cooked food and market produce stalls will be available within the next six months.

Mr Ivan Baptist (Potong Pasir): Sir, a supplementary question. Would the Hon. Senior Minister of State liberalise its allocation of hawker and market stalls to resettlement cases who were farmers prior to resettlement?

Dr Tan Eng Liang: Mr Speaker, Sir, applications for hawker and market stalls from deserving farming cases could be referred to the Hawker Coordinating Committee under the Ministry of the Environment. If they have the necessary pre-requisites and they are deserving cases they would be considered accordingly.