System Building (Hansard, 26 October 1983)

§ 14. Mr. Blair
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will recompense tenants in local authority-owned houses built by the Bison group of companies for problems of dampness from which they suffer.

§ 19. Mr. Litherland
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will order a public inquiry into Bison timber frame and other system building.

§ Sir George Young
Claims on account of dampness are not a matter for my right hon. Friend, but for tenants to take up with their local authority landlords. While my right hon. Friend has no plans to order a public inquiry into any type of system-built housing, we have asked local authorities to satisfy themselves, if they have not already done so, that Bison wall frame houses and flats do not present a safety risk.

§ Mr. Blair
Does the Minister accept that it is wrong that local authorities should shoulder the burden of repairing houses that suffer from inherent structural defects when local government has often used these types of houses at the behest of central Government?

§ Sir George Young
If the authorities are in subsidy, they will receive help in remedying the defects to which the hon. Gentleman has referred. If they are not in subsidy, it would be wrong to take away resources from authorities that may be less well off to tackle the defects that have been described. If an authority is not in subsidy, it is because the Government take the view that there are adequate resources within the authority to enable it to pay for the remedying of the defects.

§ Mr. Litherland
Does the Minister accept that there is an overwhelming demand for a public inquiry, and that to deny that inquiry to taxpayers, ratepayers and tenants generally, who have had to live in this appalling housing, would once again be an example of the Government's willingness to abdicate their responsibilities to the British people?

§ Sir George Young
We have no plans to launch a public inquiry into a system that was discontinued many years ago. More important is the need to ascertain what is wrong with the buildings and to take steps to put right the defects. That is what we have encouraged local authorities to do. We hope to be able to offer some assistance with some help from the Building Research Establishment.

§ Mr. Tim Smith
Is my hon. Friend aware that a recent "World in Action" programme on the subject offered a complete travesty of the facts, and that, following that programme, Salford council extracted an apology from "World in Action" on behalf of its tenants, in whom unjustified fears had been aroused? Is it not true that there has been no successful legal action against Bison? In that case, is not compensation or a public inquiry unjustified?

§ Sir George Young
My hon. Friend is right. If the local authority felt that it should take legal action against Bison, it would be free to pursue it in the courts. My hon. Friend is right. That has not yet been done.

§ Mr. Meadowcroft
Is the Minister aware that tenants who have bought timber frame houses under Government legislation are now facing huge bills for repairs? Therefore, will he permit the local authorities to give them grant-aid to carry out the necessary work?

§ Sir George Young
We have announced an inquiry into some types of buildings built by local authorities and then purchased by tenants, mainly using pre-cast reinforced concrete. We are not aware of the substantial problem that the hon. Gentleman outlined. Perhaps he will let me have further details.