Oral Answers to Questions — Ministry of Works – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 20 January 1959.
Mr. H. Wilson:
asked the Minister of Works whether he is aware that his Department has informed the Kirkby Urban District Council that a new Ministry of Labour office will not be constructed before 1962; and whether, in view of the employment situation in this area, he will take steps to expedite the construction of this office.
Mr Arthur Molson
, High Peak
The building of the new offices at Kirkby to house the Ministry of Labour and other social service departments will probably start early in 1961. Two years is the minimum time required for the detailed design work and for consultation with the planning authorities.
Mr. Wilson:
Does the Minister mean to say that it takes two years to design a Ministry of Labour employment exchange? Can he not speed it up? Further, is he aware that although this is a new town it is an area with very heavy unemployment, and will he not appreciate the need for accelerating the processes of his Department so that the area can have proper service long before that date?
Mr Arthur Molson
, High Peak
I am glad of this opportunity to emphasise that, as a result of the introduction of firm price tendering, we prepare complete detailed drawings and plans and all specifications in advance. Normally, for all buildings, a considerable time is required. In order to have reasonably efficient building, it is necessary that proper time should be taken in making plans.
Mr. Wilson:
But does the Minister not remember that when the Ministry of Works was properly run in 1945 and 1946 it was able, through the use of its own direct labour force, to build a great number of teachers' training colleges in a matter of months, without all this delay? Does the right hon. Gentleman really mean that he has slowed up the work of his Department so that it takes him two years to prepare plans for an employment exchange?
Mr Arthur Molson
, High Peak
The record of the costs of building educational establishments of all kinds when the present Opposition were in office is such that I should hardly have thought that the right hon. Gentleman would suggest that we should go back to the methods they adopted when constructing educational establishments.
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