Mr. David Adamsasked the Minister of Health whether it is his intention to set up a central control for the building industry, as building has been brought virtually to a standstill, and unless comprehensive steps are taken to ensure its continued employment, serious difficulties will be experienced with regard to working-class houses and other buildings when these are required?
§ Mr. ElliotThere is already a central co-ordinating body dealing with building works in which the Government are directly or indirectly interested. It is the Works and Building Priority Sub-Committee under the chairmanship of my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Labour and National Service. The sub-committee is composed of representatives of all the contracting departments and of those departments, like my own, which, while not placing contracts themselves, are closely concerned with building works. The sub-committee has the benefit of the advice of employers and workpeople in the industry. I can assure the hon. Member that I fully appreciate the desirability of taking steps to ensure that, when the time comes, normal activity in the erection of houses and other buildings can be resumed without delay.