22. Mr. TREVELYAN THOMSONasked the Minister of Health the approximate number of bricklayers in this country in the year 1914 and at the present time; and the number of bricks produced in this country in 1914 and at the present time?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI would refer the hon. Member to the reply which was given to the question which he addressed to me on these subjects on the 21st instant.
Mr. THOMSONIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that that reply does not 2186 give figures for the date asked, and may I ask if those figures are available?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI think the reply referred the hon. Member to another reply given on the same subject.
Mr. THOMSONIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the other reply did not give these particulars, and is it possible to have the figures?
§ Mr. KIRKWOODIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that we are importing bricks at the present moment from Belgium, while our own brickyards are lying idle?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat does not arise out of this question.
§ 25. Mr. RILEYasked the Minister of Health the number of bricks imported into Great Britain for the years 1913, 1924, and 1925, respectively; and the comparative price per 1,000 for each of the three years mentioned?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of TRADE (Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister)I have been asked to reply, and, as my answer includes a table of figures, I propose, with the concurrence of the hon. Member, to circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the table of figures:
| IMPORTS of bricks into the United Kingdom in the years specified have been as follow:— | |||||
| Year. | Quantity of Bricks of Brick earth or clay registered as imported. | Declared Value thereof. | |||
| Total. | Per thousand bricks. | ||||
| Thousands. | £ | £ | s. | d. | |
| 1913 | 2,814 | 5,537 | 1 | 19 | 4 |
| 1924 | 85,042 | 216,987 | 2 | 11 | 0 |
| 1925 | 159,035 | 452,437 | 2 | 16 | 11 |
§ 27. Mr. RILEYasked the Minister of Health if he has received any reports from the officials of his Department as to the low quality of certain bricks which are being imported into Great Britain from Continental countries; and whether any bricks of such quality are being used in the building of houses in respect of which Government subsidy has to be paid?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI have not received any reports of the character suggested by the first part of the hon. Member's question, and I have no information which would support the suggestion in the second part.
§ Mr. RILEYDo the Minister's officials take any steps to ascertain the quality of the bricks used in houses built with a Government subsidy?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINYes; it is a condition of the subsidy that the material should be of a proper character.
§ Mr. JOHNSTONCan the right hon. Gentleman inform the House where we may get particulars about the wages and labour conditions under which these foreign goods are being manufactured?