§ 15. Rear-Admiral Beamishasked the Minister of Health if his attention has been drawn to the plans and proposals of the borough surveyor of Hove, whereby permanent ground floors for housing accommodation may be built with temporary prefabricated first floors, with a view to meeting the housing shortage; and whether his Department is prepared to make use of this system.
§ The Minister of Health (Mr. Willink)Proposals similar in principle have been considered by the Burt Committee, which has reached the conclusion that the methods suggested do not secure the advantage claimed.
§ Rear-Admiral BeamishIs the right hon. and learned Gentleman aware that the claims made for the system are that the ground plan of the permanent building, with a prefabricated first floor, will avoid the difficulty of having to destroy completely the prefabricated Portal houses?
§ Mr. WillinkYes, Sir, I am aware that that is claimed, but the advice which the Minister of Works and I have received from the Burt Committee, which is extremely expert, is that it would be very costly, and also that the procedure of turning the people out and taking off the first floor, and then rebuilding a permanent first floor, would be very inconvenient.