Madam Speaker, according to information obtained from the Ministry of Housing and Lands, I am informed that there were initially 3,013 ex-CHA/EDC housing units containing cemented asbestos sheets, constructed in the 1960s over 59 sites island-wide. Of these, 366 were found in Constituency No. 13, Rivière des Anguilles and Souillac. According to a joint survey carried out by officers of the Ministry of Housing and Lands and the Solid Waste Management Division of my Ministry in 2022, there remains a total of 1,453 ex-CHA/EDC housing units that need to be dismantled. Out of the initial 366 houses in Constituency No. 13, some 162 had already been demolished with remaining 204 houses. With regard to part (a) of the question, there is no specific time frame for demolition of these housing units as request for dismantling emanates from the owner directly or through the Citizen Support Unit, local authorities, the Ministry of Housing and Lands and CEB officers and are, thus, attended to on a case-to-case basis. Since 2015, the Solid Waste Management Division of my Ministry procures the services of contractors for the dismantling of houses containing asbestos and disposal thereof. Requests received from owners are, thus, directed to the contractor for necessary actions. A total of 218 housing units remained containing asbestos have just been dismantled around the island from 2015 to 2024. A new bidding exercise is being undertaken at the level of the Solid Waste Division of my Ministry for dismantling, removal and disposal of cemented asbestos sheets from ex- CHA/EDC houses for a contract period of 24 months. It is expected to have a new contract by end of this month. Madam Speaker, I am also informed that all the targeted housing units could not be dismantled for the following reasons – (a) Very few requests for the dismantling of asbestos houses are received. (b) Many applicants are not owners of the housing units. They are either heirs or tenants without any formal document, and in many cases, are either abroad or

53 untraceable. It becomes difficult for the Ministry of Housing and Lands to establish ownership of the houses. (c) In cases of unoccupied houses where notices have been served and affixed by local authorities, and whose owners could not be traced during a survey, they intervene just prior to demolition of these houses and prevent the dismantling thereof. (d) Owners and occupiers also request for the reconstruction of their houses or for financial assistance prior to giving their consent for dismantling of the houses. Madam Speaker, as regards part (b) of the question, my Ministry will consult the Ministry of Housing and Lands so we come up with a redeployment plan to address all the mentioned issues as there is actually no redeployment plan.

Thank you, hon. Minister. Yes!

Thank you, hon. Minister. It is a request. Can the hon. Minister try to arrange a meeting with all the inhabitants concerned and propose them with alternatives, such as the new houses that will be offered in Souillac? So, can a meeting with the inhabitants be arranged? Thank you.

Definitely, Madam Speaker. My colleague and I have spoken, and we are moving in that direction once the Minister of Housing and Lands comes back.

Okay, thank you. Now, Mr Rookny, Third Member for Pamplemousses and Triolet! CONSTITUENCY NO. 4 – SPORTS FACILITIES