Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to thank the hon. Member for her question. I am informed that there are some 41 squatters in the area commonly known as Singamanie Village over State land at Bois Marchand, out of which, 23 are pre-July 2015 and 18 are post-July 2015. Now, the reason why very often we refer in the jargon of the Ministry of Housing and Land to the pre/post-July 2015, is basically there are two treatments that are afforded to those who are pre and those who are post. It is a question of policy that was decided at the level of the Ministry as their settlement is either on the réserve of Rivière des Calebasses or located close to a sewage treatment plant thereat.

71 It is unfortunate because of those realities on the ground, we cannot consider regularising them in situ, as I have explained the reason for that. However, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I wish to reassure the House that my Ministry is actively looking into various other possibilities to address the situation. I had stated in my reply to PQ B/754 that my Ministry, in this regard, is also working upon recommendations for regularising the post-2015 squatters because the previous government had decided not to regularise the post-2015 squatters. I think we have to take that into consideration, and I take advantage of this particular question to give that information. Ever since I came into office, I decided to request the officers of the Ministry to carry out a survey island-wide to know what is the real problem of squatters around Mauritius. We managed to carry out a survey on all State lands. Obviously, there are also squatters on private lands. The residential and non-residential squatters per district – • in the District of Port Louis, there are 306 squatters; • in the District of Pamplemousses, there are 80; • in the District of Rivière du Rempart, there are 52; • in the District of Flacq, there are 89; • in the District of Grand Port, there are 35, and • in the District of Savanne, there are 5. I say again, that does not include the squatters on private lands. So, to that 700 or so figure – the total is, in fact, 750 on State lands –, I would have thought that we are close to the figure of almost more than a thousand or slightly more than a thousand. So, yes, there is the need to address the issue – and we are doing that – of all squatters. But I have to also – as I have said in the previous reply – ensure that in the process, we do not go for a policy decision that encourages squatting. Squatting cannot be an easy way to obtain facilities from government and homes. We should try to bring them within the mainstream, which is to register to obtain a proper registration and bring in the effort to get them a place and roof over their heads. But I must say that ever since July 2015 and to date, the figures of squatters have increased tremendously. That is because the previous government did nothing to address the problem of squatters, and we will.

72

Yes, one question.

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir. Thank you to the hon. Minister for his answer. Can the hon. Minister inform the House whether his Ministry is taking actions to assist the squatters and if there is any plan for them to live a better life? Thank you.

Once again, I thank the hon. Member for her question. Is there a plan for them to live a better life? It cannot simply be a plan. It has to be a reality. In order to do so, I propose, with regard to the particular issue that the hon. Member has brought up in the National Assembly, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, – and I have already said this to the hon. Member – is to organise a meeting in situ, but after we have got a proper survey of the area in order to identify ways and means of finding the solution and give them a better life with a roof over their heads. This does not only apply to the particular situation in that locality. It applies to every single place where there are squatters. Many issues have been brought to my attention. Members of Parliament from Constituency No.14 – one of them spoke to me many times ever since the last general elections. So, yes, we are confronted with the increased number of squatters. I do not believe that we should make a differentiation between post-July 2015 or pre-July 2015. I believe that we have to accept that we have financial constraints and we also have the difficulty of finding proper land to accommodate those squatters. I can also add that the hon. Deputy Prime Minister, himself, has brought to my attention the situation of unfortunate squatters on land, commonly known as Carre d’As, in the Black River District. We are trying to find, under his chairmanship as well, other solutions quickly to be able to put them in a better environment and for them to have a roof over their heads that they can call home. So, we are concerned, we are conscious, and we will find the solutions.

The hon. Third Member for Beau Bassin and Petite Rivière! MEDICAL WORKFORCE SHORTAGE – REMEDIAL MEASURES