§ 71. Sir W. Smithersasked the Minister of Health how many standards of timber and how many unskilled workers it is estimated will be used in 1948 in the erection of non-traditional houses, including permanent aluminium houses; and whether he will take immediate steps to enable all this labour and material to be concentrated on the building of permanent brick houses at no cost to the taxpayer.
§ Mr. BevanNo accurate estimate can be given. As to the second part, I would refer to the reply I gave to the hon. Member on 8th April.
§ Sir W. Smithersasked the Minister of Health if he is aware that a programme of about 100,000 non-traditional houses will consume over 200,000 tons of steel; and whether, in view of the fact that only 85W a small amount of steel is required in brick houses and that some 150,000 standards of timber will be diverted from traditional house building, he will take immediate steps to stop unnecessary wastage of steel which is scarce and concentrate on the building of traditional houses for which ample supplies are available.
§ Mr. BevanNon-traditional houses require varying amounts of steel, some of them little more than the traditional house. No fresh contracts are being placed for those which use larger quantities.
§ Sir W. Smithersasked the Minister of Health why, despite capital cuts, it is proposed to increase the subsidy on non-traditional houses in 1948 over 1947 by about £8,000,000 while at the same time refusing to issue licences to private builders to build permanent houses at no cost to the taxpayer.