§ 34. Miss Vickersasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he will investigate the possibility of producing factory-built housing units that can be placed in terraces and readily extended so as to provide accommodation considerably cheaper than the present estimates of about £3,000 for a one-bedroom flat.
§ Sir K. JosephMy Department's Research and Development Group is already working on a system of factory-built housing suitable for all forms of lay-out, including terraces. The first prototype terrace of four houses was completed in Sheffield a month ago. Also, a number of building firms have taken licences on continental systems, or are developing their own systems of flat or house-building using factory made components.
§ Miss VickersI thank my right hon. Friend for that reply. Will those components be useful in in-filling blitzed sites, which present a special problem in many cities?
§ Sir K. JosephWe have not yet got a fully reliable system for use in small numbers and for small buildings. I hope that the type which is being developed by my Ministry can fill this gap, but it is only at the prototype stage. We would like other systems to serve this purpose.