Oral Reply by SMS Heng Chee How to Parliamentary Question on Accommodation Standards for Full-Time National Servicemen on 10 May 2023

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Defence what are the current guidelines for standards relating to full-time National Servicemen's accommodation in camps in terms of (i) the number of occupants per room (ii) the number of occupants per floor (iii) the amount of living space per occupant in terms of square metres, excluding shared living facilities (iv) ventilation requirements and (v) the ratio of occupants to available toilets.

Senior Minister of State for Defence, Heng Chee How:

Accommodation facilities in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) are designed to be functional and cost-effective in supporting our operational and training requirements and meeting the health and wellbeing needs of our servicemen. The facilities are adequate and comfortable, and benchmarked to the guidelines of the Building and Construction Authority and National Environment Agency in areas including safety, ventilation design and sanitary provisions.

The number of personnel per room ranges from two to ten. On top of shared living facilities, the individual sleeping and resting space for each serviceman is about seven square metres. The rooms are designed to make good use of natural ventilation and daylight. Typically, a 4-person room has two ceiling fans; larger rooms may have more fans installed. Toilet and shower facilities are equipped with individual shower and toilet cubicles as well as urinals, with the guideline of five men to one toilet cubicle and eight men to one urinal.