Q8. Dr. Bennettasked the Prime Minister what Departments are to be responsible for the advancement of technology in the building industry; and what is the extent of their separate responsibilities.
§ The Prime MinisterThe primary responsibility for the building industry rests with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Public Building and Works. He acts in close consultation with the other Ministers concerned, including the Minister of Technology who has the task of promoting industrial advance in industry generally and will be responsible for the Building Research Station.
Dr. BennettDoes not there seem to be a proliferation of Ministries for Technology and Science which overlap each other in this, and are not there a large number of other Departments concerned in this? Does not the Prime Minister feel that the extra Ministries have not simplified, but have made things very complicated?
§ The Prime MinisterIf the hon. Gentleman thinks that this is a proliferation, I can only tell him that this is a continuation of the system we inherited, though I think that this is justified because on that occasion the Minister for Education and Science was responsible for the Building Research Station. Those duties have now been taken over by the Minister of Technology. We went very carefully into the question of whether this particular research station should be transferred to the Department which is responsible for the industry concerned, 1051 namely, the Ministry of Works, but we decided to adhere to the system which had previously been followed, that it should be the responsibility of the technological Ministry and not of the production department.
§ Sir C. OsborneWhichever Department looks into this matter, will the Prime Minister be good enough to have an investigation into the cause of the new house price index rising over the last eight years from 96 to 144? What is the cause of this, and what can be done to help it?
§ The Prime MinisterI think that everyone who studies this will agree that one of the main items in this is the rising price of land. This is not a problem which can be solved by technology, but only by legislation. Rising costs are a matter of concern to everyone, and this is a matter which I know my right hon. Friend the Minister of Works is discussing with both sides of industry, not only nationally, but on his tour of particular regions.