§ 65. Mr. W. THORNEasked the Minister of Health the number of brick- 410 fields now making machine-made and hand-made bricks in England, Scotland, and Wales; the number of bricks now being made and if they are making at their full capacity; and whether the Government have considered the advisability of controlling brickfields for the Government's housing scheme so as to prevent a rise in the price of bricks?
§ Mr. WHEATLEYAs the answer is somewhat long, I will, with the permission of my hon. Friend, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the answer:
§ Records are not available to enable distinction to be drawn between the numbers of bricks produced by machine-made and hand-made processes. The approximate number of brickfields producing or temporarily closed was estimated by a Committee of the Ministry of Reconstruction in January, 1918, as follows, namely:
| England | … | … | … | … | 1,125 |
| Wales | … | … | … | … | 46 |
§ The present rate of production is variously estimated at between 2,500 millions and 4,000 millions a year, and from a recent Report by the Building Industry Committee it would appear that the full capacity has not yet been reached. The Government have had under consideration various means by which undue rises in prices of bricks may be obviated, and proposals with this end in view will be made in due course. With regard to figures relating to Scotland I would refer my hon. Friend to the Under-Secretary for Health in Scotland.