HC Deb 15 February 1944 vol 397 cc30-2
59. Mr. Thorne

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works if he can give any information in connection with the building of prefabricated houses by the Government; how many it is intended to build, the number of rooms in each house, including the number of bedrooms, separately, and the amount of rent to be charged.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works (Mr. Hicks)

The whole question of the building of temporary prefabricated houses will be considered by the Government after the proto-type house referred to recently by my Noble Friend in another place has been erected and examined by the Minister of Health and the Secretary of State for Scotland and the housing authorities and others interested. It is not possible, therefore, at the present time, to reply to the detailed points raised in my hon. Friend's Question.

Mr. Rhys Davies

Can my hon. Friend make clear to the country whether the Government have yet arrived at a policy in regard to prefabricated houses? Has it been decided to allow these houses, to be built?

Mr. Hicks

The answer to my hon. Friend would definitely be "Yes." There are two kinds of prefabricated houses. One is of the traditional type, which has nothing to do with this Question. The others are temporary prefabricated buildings and I have given my hon. Friend all the information I can. I would gladly give him more if I had it.

Sir Irving Albery

Why has the hon. Gentleman inserted the word "temporary" in his reply, as it is not contained in the Question?

Mr. Hicks

I deliberately put it in, in order to distinguish between prefabrication of the traditional type of house, and the temporary prefabricated house, which is of a smaller type, and will have to be given Government approval and will be subject to licence by the Government or the local authority as to how long it can be used.

Mr. De la Bère

Would it not be a good thing to have them all temporary, as we do not want to have them for all time?

Mr. Graham White

Is it not Government policy that these temporary prefabricated foam slag houses shall, in fact, be licensed for a period and be publicly owned?

Mr. Hicks

My hon. Friend is under some misapprehension. It is not intended to use foam slag for this temporary type.

Mr. E. Walkden

Is my hon. Friend aware that those who are advocating prefabricated houses will not live in them themselves, and that it is that to which we object?

Mr. Hicks

I do not think that that is necessarily agreed. Many builders can build houses of the traditional type, of different materials from those of which they have customarily been built.