HL Deb 28 November 1961 vol 235 cc1035-6

2.55 p.m.

LORD BOSSOM

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any reliable statistics as to the actual number of available building trade operatives to make sure that there will be enough of these to construct all the habitations essential as well as carry out all other building or civil engineering work in Great Britain and Northern Ireland during the next ten years.]

EARL JELLICOE

My Lords, the estimated number of persons engaged in the construction industries in Great Britain at the end of September was 1,597,000. The Government are fully aware of the need to keep the load of work on the industries in balance with the available resources, including those of labour, and with other claims on the economy. They will continue to take any measures which may be needed to this end.

LORD BOSSOM

My Lords, again thanking my noble friend for his advice, may I ask whether he could state if the Government are attempting to take advantage of the mechanical processes that are now available in other parts of the world, so as to enable buildings to be built more quickly and at less cost than they are being built over here at the present time?

EARL JELLICOE

In reply to my noble friend I must make clear that the departmental responsibility for this matter lies, of course, with the Ministry of Works and, I understand, the Minister for Science. My right honourable friend the Minister of Works is, of course, closely following production techniques both here and abroad, and he is in close touch with both sides of the industry on ways and means for increasing productivity in the building industry. But since I have drawn attention to the rather rash and sometimes rather damaging comments made on productivity in the building industry, I would just point out to my noble friend that it is my understanding that the productivity per man in the building industry has increased by about 5 per cent. annually since 1948.

LORD SILKIN

My Lords, could the noble Lord say how many of these 1½ million-odd men are engaged in house building?

EARL JELLICOE

I think there are about 290,000, plus 18,000 directly employed by local authorities. Therefore, I think 300,000-plus is the answer.

LORD BALFOUR OF INCHRYE

My Lords, arising out of the Minister's reply to the previous question, is the Minister really saying that the housing problem can never be solved, or would he care to modify that statement, in view of the fact that "never" has a very unfortunate political implication when Ministers use that word? It may be that he would like to modify that.

EARL JELLICOE

I am grateful to my noble friend. What I meant by that—and I think I know the precedent which he has in mind—is that housing will present each generation with a fresh challenge, and to that extent it will never be solved.

BARONESS HORSBRUGH

My Lords, does the noble Earl mean by that that he considers that as each generation comes along we shall have a higher standard of housing than we have had in the past?

EARL JELLICOE

Broadly speaking, I think the answer to that is, Yes. My noble friend will shortly, I hope, be seeing a Report, published under the auspices of the Minister's Housing Advisory Committee, pressing for higher standards in housing.

LORD BOSSOM

Has my noble friend attempted to compare new scientific developments over here with those which are being made in Belgium, for instance, where they are definitely building their houses more quickly than we are building them in England, and at a lower price? Has my noble friend taken advantage of that? If he has not, will he have a talk with the Minister for Science to see what can be done?

EARL JELLICOE

I am sure that the Minister for Science has listened very attentively to that particular point.