§ 49. Mr. LOUIS SMITHasked the Minister of Health if he will state precisely what relaxation of the requirements of the London Building Acts the London County Council have recently offered, in connection with subsidised housing schemes, in respect of wall fillings and floor loads for the purpose of facilitating the submission of tenders for steel-frame buildings?
§ Mr. GREENWOODI am informed that no recent application has been made to the London County Council for the relaxation of these requirements of the London Building Acts in connection with subsidised housing schemes. In 1926 the Council obtained tenders for the erection of two blocks of dwellings embodying relaxations to the extent of a reduction of floor load from 70 to 40 lbs. per square foot, and of wall thickness (below the upper 20 feet of wall) from 14 to 8½ inches. I may add that I understand that the tenders obtained compared unfavourably with tenders for ordinary brick construction and that steel framed buildings were not in fact erected.
§ Mr. ARTHUR MICHAEL SAMUELDoes not this permission for a very large reduction of the floor load show that the London County Council building regulations are entirely out of date?
§ Mr. GREENWOODNo. I think the moral is that it does not prove that this is cheaper than brick construction.
§ Mr. SMITHWill the right hon. Gentleman give wider publicity to these relaxations so that other authorities may take advantage of it?
§ Mr. GREENWOODI think the hon. Member will find that they have been well advertised.