A plan to build housing units for the elderly and single parents has been put on hold because of fears that Government may soon abolish Parish Councils.

But Health Minister Patrice Minors said on Thursday that there were no such plans.

Hamilton Parish Council purchased a half acre of land to add to an existing three quarters of an acre for the six-unit housing project but council chairman Donaldo Laurenceo said uncertainty over the council?s future was forcing it to put the project on the back burner.

Government had written to Parish Councils saying that their abolition was one of the options being considered in response to concerns over financial management, he said.

?Hamilton Parish Council has been the one Parish Council over the years that has managed to get its accounts audited every year. There are Parish Councils with accounts way out of whack and I believe this is what is driving the Government to take drastic steps,? Mr. Laurenceo said.

?We feel we have done everything that is expected of us. We have not given the Government any cause for concern and we would like to continue doing what we are doing but we are one out of nine and Government has to act in the broadest interest of all concerned.?

Auditor Larry Dennis revealed in his annual report that most Parish Councils had not issued an audited statement last year.

And Opposition MP Michael Dunkley has said the centuries-old institutions are unnecessary.

But Mrs. Minors said: ?All the Council chairmen have been recently re-appointed and they are expected to carry out their responsibilities.?

She reiterated Government?s plans to strip Parish Councils of responsibility for rest homes, but said they are expected to continue to be concerned with parochial issues.

Another Parish Council chairman said that he too had heard of plans to abolish the councils but did not want to be quoted. He said, however, that he was hoping to meet with the Minister soon for clarification.