§ 24. Mr. Woodnuttasked the Minister of Public Building and Works what factors he has taken into account in estimating an increase by 1970 of the percentage of new construction work being carried out for the public sector.
§ Mr. MellishI have allowed for all relevant factors affecting both the public and the private sectors. The recent Government decisions will have the effect of reducing the proportion of work carried out for the public sector from what it would otherwise have been by 1970.
§ Mr. WoodnuttWould it not be far better, in view of that state of affairs, to reduce the number of direct labour forces employed by local authorities in conjunction with the Minister of Housing and Local Government and put more of this work out to private enterprise, which can do it much more efficiently?
§ Mr. MellishThe hon. Gentleman will be interested in the figures: 91 per cent. of all new house building by local authorities is performed by private enterprise and only 9 per cent. by direct labour. I am sure that the hon. Gentleman will be the first to concede that there are many direct labour forces which have done and are doing a first-class job. There is no reason to denigrate them just because they happen to be direct labour.