§ 18. Mr. R. Aclandasked the President of the Board of Trade what are the raw materials whose cost contributes to the cost of production of rods for reinforced concrete work, and in what proportions do these several materials and the necessary labour contribute to the cost of production; and what were the changes in the costs of these materials or in the wages of labour which occurred between 1st January and 1st May, 1937, which justified the increase of £2 8s. per ton, or about 28 per cent., in the price of rods on the latter date?
Mr. StanleyI understand that the cost of production of rods for reinforced concrete work depends mainly upon the cost of steel billets. The price of steel billets of tested and guaranteed quality rose by £2 per ton between the 1st January and the 1st May, 1937. Wages in this part of the industry are on a sliding scale related to prices.