§ 20. Mr. Bossomasked the Minister of Health what procedure must any of the properly equipped small builders follow to enable them to get permission to start building houses.
§ Mr. BevanA builder can reply to a local authority's invitation for tenders and if successful would be authorised to start building; or he can apply to a local authority for a licence to erect houses within the provisions of Circular 125/45, issued by the Ministry of Health, of which I am sending a copy to the hon. Member.
§ 21 Mr. Bossomasked the Minister of Health if he will give a complete list of all the authorities, national, regional, local and others, from whom a builder must obtain approval before he can decide upon the site, obtain the water, electricity, gas and sewage arrangements and build a permanent house costing £1,300 in London or £1,200 outside.
§ Mr. BevanA private builder has to obtain the approval of the planning authority to a site for a new house, and, during the current shortage of building labour and materials, a licence from the housing authority, before he may begin to build. The plans of the house have to be approved by the local authority under the building byelaws and also, so far as the elevations are concerned, by 600 the planning authority. In certain cases the consent of the highway authority may also be necessary. As regards public services, the builder must arrange for connection with the supplying authority or company.
§ Mr. BossomIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that his colleague the Minister of Town and Country Planning yesterday announced that he would like to see all these permits arranged under one heading; will he try to do the same thing?
§ Mr. BevanI also declared at the Building Congress yesterday that I was already making plans to see that these various licences and controls were cleared at the regional level by the Ministry of Health.