§ 11 Mr. T. THOMSONasked the President of the Board of Trade (1) whether, having regard to the danger of the prices of building materials being increased by trusts and combines in view of the Governments subsidy to houses, he will consider the possibility of counteracting such a move by means of a costings system and full publicity of all in ice movements and trade agreements:
(2) whether he is aware that the original rules of the Light Castings Association definitely stated that one of its objects was to raise and keep up prices against the buyers by pooling arrangements which so controlled production as to keep it just below the demand; and what steps he proposes to take to circumvent, such a policy at the present time, which would inevitably raise the price of houses that the Government propose to subsidise?
§ Sir P. LLOYD-GREAMEI would rfeer the hon. Member to the answers given by the Minister of Health yesterday to the hon. Members for Derby and Batley and Morley.
§ Mr. THOMSONArising out of the answer given yesterday by the Minister of Health, who stated that this Committee was making only a survey, does not the right hon. Gentleman think it 233 is time that. something more was done, and will he not give publicity to the findings of that survey?
§ Sir P. LLOYD-GREAMEIt is precisely in order that publicity and accurate information should be available to the public that this Committee was set up.