Orders of the Day — Finance Bill

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 2 December 1964.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Mr Graham Page Mr Graham Page , Crosby 12:00, 2 December 1964

There is the Canadian timber-built house, which can be erected in eight weeks as against the 11 months needed for the traditional house. That is an example of the way in which industrialised and modern building construction is able quickly to produce homes for the people. Many other constructions are also based on the timber trade. All these will be severely hit by this surcharge, and the result will be not only a reduction in the number of houses built but an increase in the cost to house purchasers and local authorities, who are just coming round to using industrialised building.

1.15 a.m.

In face of this, what about the brave words in the Gracious Speech, when the Government said that they were going to modernise the building industry? One of the first things they do is to obstruct the successful industrialisation of that industry. I mentioned the example of the Canadian timber-built house, but it is not only Canada that is concerned with these imports; it is also the E.F.T.A. countries as well.

We have no substitutes for this plywood and for this planed softwood. The plywood industry in this country meets only 5 per cent. of our demand, so either there is going to be an increase in the cost of houses or a reduced output, or, possibly, both. What is it that the Government want out of this? Is it fewer houses at higher prices? That scarcely fits in with the election manifesto of the party opposite. Or do they think that in the few months that this surcharge is to be imposed we can grow the trees, cut them down and provide the plywood and the planed softwood?

It is true that the import of plywood has increased by 18 per cent. over the past year. That may be why it was thought fit to place the surcharge on imported plywood. It has increased, of course, because its use has increased in this country in the factory-built house, in the industrialisation and modernisation of the house-building trade. The use of planed softwood has also rapidly increased over the past year, particularly because of its use in the factory-built house.

In both cases, a steady increase in the use of plywood and planed softwood in industrialised building is absolutely essential in order to reach a target of 400,000 houses next year. Because of this surcharge there will be a reduction in the number of houses built, and they will be built at an increased cost.