§ 62. Mr. LOUIS SMITHasked the Minister of Transport whether, in view of his note to divisional road engineers in favour of the use of British kerb in road-making, he can state whether imports of Norwegian granite kerb are still coming into this country, and to what extent?
Mr. MORRISONI believe that Norwegian granite kerb is still imported. I understand that owing to the large programme of road works now in hand, there is such a wide demand for British granite kerb, that highway authorities, much to my disappointment, experience great difficulty in obtaining their requirements from British quarry owners.
§ Mr. SMITHSeeing that there is apparently some difficulty in carrying out the request of the Minister of Transport, could not the hon. Gentleman, in future, lay down such regulations as would notify to local authorities that no further importations should take place?
Mr. MORRISONThe hon. Gentleman has missed entirely the point of my reply. That was the question upon which the quarry owners came to see me. I circularised the local authorities, and asked them to do everything they could to use British kerbs. The trouble now is that the British quarry owners are not ready to supply them.
Dr. VERNON DAVIESIs the Minister aware that it is suggested that in Lancashire there is a certain substitute which is just as good?
Mr. MORRISONWe have heard about that before, but it would have to be examined in order to see whether it is just as good.