§ 29. Sir WALTER de FRECEasked the Minister of Health if it is the custom of his Department to prescribe any policy as regard the preferential use of British or foreign building material in the construction of subsidy houses; and whether, in that case, he will state what it is?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINSection 10 of the Housing (Financial Provisions) Act, 1924, provides that, in approving proposals for the construction of houses, the Minister of Health shall not impose any conditions which would prevent the materials required being purchased in the cheapest market at home or abroad. The Government have, however, urged local authorities to arrange that all contracts for or incidental to works carried out by them should, in the absence of special circumstances, be placed in this country.