HC Deb 12 November 1957 vol 577 c34W
88. Mr. Gough

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works, as representing the Lord President of the Council, in view of the estimate of Doctor Findlay of the Forest Products Research Laboratory, Princes Risborough, that over £20 million is spent annually on dry rot and woodworm repairs, what he estimates would be the annual saving in national expenditure if all timber used in new building was pre-treated with wood preservative.

Mr. H. Nicholls

Attacks on house timbers by dry rot and woodworm are not officially notifiable and the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research has, therefore, no estimates of the present annual cost of repairs. It is also impossible to estimate what might be the potential saving from pre-treatment of housing timbers. However, it is common practice to treat vulnerable parts with preservative, and this is recommended by the Forest Products Research Laboratory.

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