Prefabricated Houses (Hansard, 28 June 1944)

§ 32. Mr. A. Edwards
asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works whether he can state the cost of the amended prototype emergency house.

§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works (Mr. Hicks)
My Noble Friend has stated a figure at which he was aiming. The amendments introduced will necessarily affect this, but as soon as the final decision is taken it will be possible to work out the approximate cost of the improvements introduced.

§ Mr. Edwards
Has not my hon. Friend already sufficient information to show that permanent houses can be built at a lower cost than this temporary house? Has he not changed his plans altogether?

§ Mr. Austin Hopkinson
Do the figures which have been published relate to the house as it is, with magnificent fittings, or to the house as it will be, with very inferior fittings?

§ Mr. Hicks
The figure aimed at by my Noble Friend is for the show house outside the Tate Gallery with fittings as shown. When the houses are mass produced, their fittings will be those finally chosen but similar to those in the show house.

§ Sir H. Williams
Is the prototype now the official description of what was known first as the Churchill house and subsequently as the Portal house?

§ Mr. Edwards
Has not my hon. Friend told, the House that he had information to prove that the Tarran type of house is very much cheaper than the house that he proposes, and also that permanent houses are very much cheaper? I have the information from the Minister himself.

§ Mr. Hicks
Before this canard goes any farther, I can definitely say that the information that we have at the Ministry does not coincide with my hon. Friend's statement, that houses built by others, of a permanent character, are cheaper.

33. Lieut.-Colonel Sir Ian Fraser
asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works whether he is satisfied that the camber of the roof of the proposed prefabricated houses is sufficiently steep to stand the heavy weights of snow which are common in the Northern part of the Kingdom.

§ Mr. Hicks
Yes, Sir.

§ Sir I. Fraser
Will the hon. Gentleman put one of these houses up this winter in the North and see whether experience confirms this? Also will he show the house around in the North so that others can see it besides Londoners?

§ Mr. Hicks
I have given the House the information that the Secretary of State for Scotland has had one built in Scotland, that other prototypes are being made and that they will be available in each region this year.