Lords to debate the role of modern methods of construction (MMC) in the building of housing
Tuesday 3 September 2024
Just after 11.40am on Thursday 5 September 2024 members of the House of Lords will debate the role of modern methods of construction (MMC) in the housing construction sector.
The House of Lords Built Environment Committee carried out a short inquiry into MMC between October 2023 and January 2024.
In a letter to the government issued following the conclusion of its inquiry, the committee was critical of the previous government’s approach to MMC. It said government policy was in “disarray” and that public money invested into supporting the housing construction industry in adopting MMC had not been backed by a coherent plan nor a set of measurable objectives.
The committee called for the government to acquire a better understanding of how the construction industry worked and the help that it needed to adopt MMC, as well as to set achievable goals and develop a coherent strategy for the sector.
The debate will be opened by Lord Carrington of Fulham and held in the Lords Chamber. Baroness Taylor of Stevenage will respond on behalf of the Government.
Speaking ahead of the debate, Lord Moylan, Chair of the Built Environment Committee, said:
“New technologies are being brought to bear on home construction in many parts of the world, but in the UK attempts to introduce the most advanced of these, including off-site modular construction, have largely failed, despite the previous government’s support.
“The House of Lords Built Environment Committee, which I chair, carried out an inquiry on this very issue earlier this year which concluded that, whilst the MMC sector does face real barriers, these had been compounded by a lack of focus from the Government and Homes England on understanding and addressing the challenges.
“The new government, which has been promoting more home-building as a main policy objective, should take the opportunity to develop and publish a coherent strategy for MMC which is supported by a set of measurable objectives.”
Read the Built Environment Committee’s January 2024 letter to the then Secretary of State for Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
Read the note produced by the House of Lords Library to accompany this debate.
The debate can be watched live at www.parliamentlive.tv and a transcript will be available approximately three hours from the start of the debate on Hansard.
