§ 87. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the Minister of Health whether municipal authorities who find themselves unable to obtain bricks at a reasonable price and in a reasonable time are entitled to establish and work their own brickmaking yards; and if there is any objection on his part to such authorities importing bricks from France or elsewhere in order to build houses?
Mr. GREENWOODMy right hon. Friend has no intention of interfering with the free importation of building materials.
§ Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHYMay I have an answer to the first part of my question, as to whether they can start brickworks if they wish to do so?
§ Mr. BUCHANANIs the hon. Gentleman aware, as Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health, that wherever a corporation or city council start a brickworks for use and not for sale outside, but purely for the use and development of their own schemes, they have full liberty to start municipal brickworks?
Lieut.-Colonel GUINNESSCan the hon. Gentleman say whether the trouble about bricks is a new development since the introduction of the Housing Bill?
§ Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHYThis is very important, and I have a question on the Paper. Did I understand that they are allowed to start these brickworks?
Mr. GREENWOODNo local authority has power to start municipal services of all kinds without special powers, but where a local authority possesses land and for its own purposes produces bricks, for its own schemes, that, I think, it can do without special powers.
§ Mr. FERGUSONGlasgow started brickworks, and it was a big failure there.