§ Mr. Wootton-Daviesasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works and Buildings whether, when undertaking the construction of housing accommodation for factory workers, his Department consults the local authorities in whose areas the houses are to be built to ascertain whether they have any plans either in hand or' in partial execution; whether these can be utilised by his Department or whether it evolves its own plans using its own architects and staff in London without prior local consultation; and what has been its practice hitherto in Lancashire?
§ Mr. HicksConsultation always takes place in cases of this nature when the site of such accommodation is being selected, and no difficulty would occur at that stage in utilising the plans made by a local authority, in connection with a housing project, so far as roads and services are concerned. Plans actually prepared for houses could not, however, be made use of as the accommodation for factory workers being constructed by the Ministry of Works and Buildings consists either of hostels for single persons or of married quarters of a simple and standardised one-storey type. This type of temporary construction is essential to secure economy in labour and materials, which cannot be achieved by ordinary housing accommodation of a permanent character.