58. Sir F. HALLasked the Minister of Health whether steps can be taken to impress upon local authorities who have to obtain the sanction of his Department to borrowings for capital expenditure the importance of giving preference to goods of British manufacture, where there is competition with foreign goods produced at much lower labour costs?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINIn a circular issued during my previous term of office at the Ministry of Health, local authorities were informed that where grants were given in aid of works, contracts for the work must be placed in this country, and they were urged in the absence of special circumstances to adopt the same principle in all works carried out by them. A further circular is about to be issued urging that preference should, wherever practicable, be given to goods produced within the Empire. I will send my hon. Friend a copy of both circulars.