§ 18. Mr. Hooleyasked the Minister of Health whether any hospital accommodation is currently being built by industrialised building methods; and whether he will encourage experiments with such methods by hospital boards.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonMost current schemes use such methods, though to varying extents. As examples, seven major contractors are using their systems for maternity units. A system developed by the Oxford Hospital Board is being adopted overseas as well as here. My Department's development projects at Kingston, Walton and Greenwich are wholly industrialised. I welcome experimentation and have issued a great deal of technical guidance on this subject to hospital boards.
§ Mr. HooleyCan the Minister hold out any hope that these methods will reduce the tremendous length of time it now takes from the planning to the completion of major modern hospitals?
§ Mr. RobinsonYes, Sir. I have hopes that these methods will reduce the time taken in planning and construction—perhaps to a rather greater extent than they will reduce the cost.
§ Mr. FreesonWill my right hon. Friend inform us to what extent the information gained by this research and development is made available, or will be made available, to local health and welfare authorities for building projects they are planning?
§ Mr. RobinsonI am not sure that techniques of hospital building by industrialised methods are necessarily appropriate to the type of much simpler building in which local health and welfare authorities are engaged.