Dr. ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has made any study of the application of super-insulated houses developed in Canada and Scandinavia for construction in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. TrippierIn conjunction with the Building Research Establishment, my Department keeps under review the cost-effectiveness of developments in low-energy housing in other countries, including Canada and Scandinavia. The use of very high levels of insulation in these countries is related both to the severe external climate and to the relatively high levels at which internal temperatures are normally maintained. In general, this would he unlikely to he cost-effective in the different conditions which exist in this country.