HC Deb 06 December 1966 vol 737 cc1132-4
9. Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what proposals he has for reducing the cost and stimulating the production of system-built dwellings.

Mr. Mellish

Measures to stimulate the production of system-built dwellings are described in Circular No. 76/65 of which my hon. Friend has a copy. The key to reductions in cost is longer production runs and concentration on the best systems and plan types.

Mrs. Short

I thank my hon. Friend for that reply, which is very helpful, but would he consider making more use of the agrément boards vis-à-vis local authorities? Would he not think that where particular techniques are not covered by codes of practice or building regulations a certificate from a board could be very useful for a local authority?

Mr. Mellish

I do not wish to go into technical details on system building, but the figures of local authority house building to be issued at the end of the year will show a dramatic increase in the amount of housing produced by industrialised methods. If the firms producing these systems are to succeed they must be given long-term contracts. That is why we are giving many local authorities forward programmes, to enable them to give those long-term contracts.

Mr. Lubbock

What contribution does the Parliamentary Secretary expect from the Component Co-ordination Group, announced last week, towards the cheapening of industrialised housing? Is he satisfied with the progress being made towards the production of industrialised housing in the sphere of two-storey housing?

Mr. Mellish

A great deal is now known on system-building. It is a fact that with high-rise system building is not only faster but cheaper, and that with low-rise it is not so cheap as traditional building but in many instances is faster. I think that the reason is that long-term contracts have not been given for low-rise. We certainly think that the consortium is the right approach to this matter, because then we can give longer-term contracts. That is really the key to the problem. But when the figures are given at the end of the year the House will be generally satisfied with what is being done in this respect.

Mr. Costain

Does the Parliamentary Secretary appreciate that certain systems pay the Selective Employment Tax and others do not? What consultations has he had with the Minister of Labour to sort this out?

Mr. Mellish

If the hon. Gentleman wants to ask a question like that he had better put it down on the Order Paper. There is nothing here about S.E.T.