REPAIRS TO CEILING OF HDB FLATS (Progress report)

Mr Chew Heng Ching asked the Minister for National Development if he will report on the progress made by the Housing and Development Board to repair the ceiling of flats affected by spalling concrete.

Dr Lee Boon Yang: Mr Speaker, Sir, phase 1 of the programme to repair the ceiling of flats affected by spalling concrete commenced in June 1988 and will last till March 1989. This covers about 2,500 cases of spalling concrete reported to the Board before 31st December 1987. To-date, 1,451 cases have been attended to and repair of the other cases are in progress.

Under phase 2 of the programme, from April 1989 to March 1990, HDB expects to rectify an additional 4,000 cases of spalling concrete. The details of the second phase repair programme are expected to be finished by mid-March 1989 when feedback from the affected lessees have been collected.

Sir, the whole repair programme is expected to take five years to complete, commencing from June 1988. For cost effectiveness, repairs are carried out on a block-by-block basis and scheduled according to the age of the building. Priority of repair is also given to serious case of spalling concrete.