RESITING OF HAWKERS IN HAWKER/FOOD CENTRES

Mr Yeo Toon Chia asked the Minister for the Environment how many more licensed hawkers are to be resited in hawker/food centres and the period it will take to complete this process; what are the hawker/food centres to be built in FY 1979/80; and whether his Ministry has a set of guidelines in the planning of the size or number of hawker/food centres in Housing and Development Board estates in the matter of the ratio of population to hawkers in the estates.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment (Mr Chor Yeok Eng) (for the Minister for the Environment): ( In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, there are 6,695 licensed street hawkers, including 465 itinerant and 86 showcase hawkers. About 5,000 of them will be resited by 1981 and the rest will be later in stages.

Thirteen markets and/or food centres will be completed in FY 1979/80. Four will be located in Ang Mo Kio, three in Bedok, two in Clementi and one each in Lim Chu Kang, Bukit Merah, Woodlands and Bukit Batok, Twelve other centres are planned - one each in Clementi, Kreta Ayer, Kandang Kerbau, Bedok, Nee Soon New Town, Woodlands New Town, Tampines New Town, Bukit Batok New Town, Kampong Java, Hill Street, Telok Ayer and Farrer Park.

There are guidelines in planning markets and/or food centres in HDB estates. There will be one market-produce stall to 50 units of flats, or about 250 persons. Similarly, there will be one cooked-food stall to 100 units of flats or about 500 persons.