§ 59. Mr. Willeyasked the Minister of Public Building and Works if he will make a statement on the possible use of shipyards for the purpose of manufacturing building components.
§ Mr. RipponOn 30th April 1 announced in the House that I had set150W up three Inquiry Offices to put shipyards interested in producing building components in touch with architects, builders and their clients.
The initial response from the shipyards was encouraging. Some 30 shipyards made inquiries and were put in touch with builders and others who might be able to make use of their facilities. As a result one shipbuilding firm has established a subsidiary company in co-operation with a builder to manufacture industrialised housing components in the North-East. Other shipyards have also moved into the building field and yet other projects are under consideration. The commercial initiative must, of course, lie with the firms concerned, once the technical possibilities have been explained to them.