§ 43. Miss HORSBRUGHasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that the programme of house building for slum clearance is being retarded in Dundee owing to a shortage of bricklayers; and what steps he pro poses to take to ensure the building of the necessary number of houses in a reasonable time?
§ Sir G. COLLINSI regret to say that there is a shortage of bricklayers in Dundee. The Department of Health have for some time been taking all possible steps in conjunction with the local authority officials, the Ministry of Labour and the Bricklayers' Union with 386 a view to securing additional men. Meanwhile the contractor for one of the building schemes has promised to arrange for the transfer to Dundee of men from other schemes which he is completing within the next few weeks.
Mr. WESTDoes not the right hon. Gentleman think that this shortage could be made up by the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Epping (Mr. Churchill)?