The House of Lords is set to debate the merits of offsite manufacturing for construction later today.
The debate is in response to a report by the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee’s report Offsite manufacture for construction: building for change, which was published in July this year.
The report warned that the construction sector as it currently operates cannot meet the UK’s need for housing and may struggle to meet the need for infrastructure. It urged the government to find solutions in the face of a labour shortage and lagging productivity in the UK as compared to other countries.
The Committee argued that offsite manufacture could help increase productivity in the construction sector while reducing labour demands, improving the quality and efficiency of buildings and reducing the environmental impacts associated with traditional construction.
Among those listed to speak in the debate are Lord Fox, Liberal Democrat spokesman for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and Lord Mair, past president of the Institution of Civil Engineers.
The debate is being moved by Lord Patel, chair of the Science and Technology Committee and Lord Henley, parliamentary under secretary of state for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, who will respond on behalf of the government.
The debate is expected to start after 330pm.
