Rowley blanks request

MINISTER of Housing Dr Keith Rowley has refused to divulge the names and addresses of all applicants for houses, land and rental units, saying if such is disclosed, it would undermine the necessary privacy and confidentiality. The Minister also cannot give a list of names and addresses of all squatters. Rowley’s response was given to two questions from Opposition Senator Wade Mark in the Senate last week. As a result, Mark called on Senate President Dr Linda Baboolal to rule on the matter, but Baboolal said she will do so at the next sitting next Tuesday, because she had not seen the answers.

Mark had asked Rowley to provide a list of the names and addresses of all applicants to all the agencies responsible to the Ministry of Housing for houses, land and rental units as at March 2, 2004. In his written response, provided in the Senate, Rowley indicated that to disclose such details would “undermine the necessary privacy and confidentiality relationships between these agencies and their clients.” He added that “this is not in keeping with proper business practices which the organisations uphold.” He asked for the “understanding of the Senate in this matter.”

In the other questions, relating to squatters, Mark had asked for a list of names and addresses of all the squatters in Trinidad as at March 2, 2004. Rowley said his Ministry did not have such information. He said in keeping with the Ministry’s policy of squatter regularisation, information is available on the names and addresses of all squatters who applied for certificates of comfort in the first instance, under the Squatter Regularisation Programme.