PROGRESS REVIEWED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22242, 30 January 1947, Page 3

PROGRESS REVIEWED

HOUSING IN BRITAIN MORE TIMBER REQUIRED (9 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 28. The Minister of Health, Mr. Aneurin Bevan. in a White Paper presented to Parliament, says it is reasonable to expect the building industry with the available labour and materials to complete 240,000 permanent houses in 1947. Thus, with the 60,000 temporary houses also due to be completed, the Government’s housing policy aimed at completing 200,000, compared with 150.000 in 1946. The post-war programme aimed at 750,000 houses as Britain's minimum requirements.

j The White Paper emphasises that the , programme is based on specified assumptions about labour and materials jas a result of the progress made in j 1946. but they can be tested only by the course of events in 1947. I The rate of building, particularly, will ; be reduced unless imports of softwood j timber are increased. The possibilities : of obtaining them from Germany. Rusj sia, the United States and Canada are : being explored. It is expected that : local authorities will build 190.000 of the total number of permanent houses.