35. Mr. Gresham Cookeasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what study is being undertaken of the progress made in factory-built houses in the United States of America, having regard to the fact that one in six of houses erected there are made of manufactured components.
§ Sir K. JosephMy Department keeps in touch with progress in this field in the United States of America, as in other countries. The methods of construction used for most factory-built houses there are similar to those used in this country for caravans and mobile homes. The evidence we have indicates that these methods are more expensive than traditional methods in this country. One of our main objectives is to develop house building systems which are competitive in cost with traditional, while achieving the benefits of industrialisation.
Mr. Gresham CookeWill my right hon. Friend agree that when factory-built houses are constructed on a large scale, as in America, experience shows that they are much cheaper and are erected more quickly than traditional houses? Is it not also the case that the public in America has a wider choice of architect-designed houses than is possible with traditional houses? Might not that experience be valuable in this country?
§ Sir K. JosephI agree with all that my hon. Friend has said, but America is rich in land and we axe not. Very much of America's housing development is at a far lower density than we could afford, and many of these houses, if packed close together, would develop a high fire risk which we could not tolerate.