§ 58. Mr. L. SMITHasked the Minister of Health if he will consider, in connection with the Housing (No. 2) Bill, the desirability of suggesting to local authorities erecting tenement structures to accommodate slum dwellers who may be dispossessed the advantage of using steel frames for such buildings, both to their own benefit and the relief of unemployment in the steel industry?
§ Mr. GREENWOODThe information at present available to me hardly supports the view that, in this particular class of construction work, economy can be secured by the adoption of this suggestion, and the hon. Member will appreciate that the reduction of costs and of rents is of the first importance in dwellings of this character.
§ Mr. SMITHWill the right hon. Gentleman have some investigation made in this direction, as I am told that an economy would be effected?
§ Mr. GREENWOODI am not sure that there is need for investigation. There is past experience which shows that that method was not quite successful.
§ Mr. A. M. SAMUELWhy does the right hon. Gentleman say that? Is he not aware that some of these local provisions in the Building Acts are entirely obsolete?
§ Mr. GREENWOODThat has nothing to do with the question. The experience of the late Government was that experiments in this respect were quite unsuccessful.
§ Mr. THORNEIs it not the case that if you encourage one industry in this way, you will discourage other industries, such as brickmaking?
§ Mr. L. SMITHAre we never to learn in the future anything more than we have learned in the past?