The Salvation Army may lose the contract to run Government?s emergency shelter, Health Minister Patrice Minors has said.

Last week the Salvation Army went public over its problems in trying to curb drug dealing in the crumbling buildings at the Marsh Lane site.

Three years ago Government announced plans for replacing the prefab shelter.

Mrs. Minors said this was still under review and plans would be unveiled in the new year.

But she could not reveal the budget.

She said: ?It?s receiving active consideration within this Ministry.?

She added that ensuring those who ran the programme were accountable was a key consideration.

?We want a facility to provide a service not serve as a den of iniquity.?

Asked if the Salvation Army could lose the contract she said: ?That?s a possibility.?

She said heads of departments were looking at the problem. ?We hope to have the matter addressed in the not too distant future.?

The Salvation Army told recently that the buildings were meant to last ten years are now well into their third decade.

Homeless people also boycott the building because drug pushers roamed free.

Asked about the state of the building, which houses 61 people, Mrs. Minors said: ?That falls within the Ministry of Works and Engineering.

?There will have to be cross-Ministry dialogue on that regard.?