§ Colonel DAYasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that valuers throughout the country are not agreed as to the value of houses built of asbestos tiles or standard concrete; and whether he will have official tests made of these materials to ascertain their suitability and probable durability, and publish the results with a view to aiding valuers in fixing a reasonable value upon such houses?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI am aware that opinions vary as to the value of many of the new materials and new methods of house construction. As regards asbestos tiles a committee of the British Engineering Standards Associa- 817W tion, on which Government Departments are represented, is at present investigating the practicability of settling standards for this material and their conclusions will no doubt be published in due course. The question of the suitability of concrete for house construction was fully investigated by the Committee on New Methods of House Construction, and I may refer the hon. and gallant Member to that Committee's second interim Report (Cmd. 2310).