§ 71. Mr. Ellis Smithasked the Minister of Supply how the 9,000 firms that were 1936 surveyed are being utilised; what is the position of the area organisation; what steps have been taken for the Supply Board to increase output at once and improve organisation for the future; and, where firms desire to assist in any manner, what steps they have to take to enable the area organisation to consider their proposals?
§ The Minister of Supply (Mr. Burgin)As I informed the hon. Member for Consett (Mr. David Adams) on 18th October, it cannot be stated in detail how the new capacity is to be employed. As requirements increase new firms are allocated orders suitable to their capacity. I am not yet in a position to make a statement on the expansion of the area organisation, but I hope to be able to announce the opening of stock rooms displaying samples of simple munition stores very shortly. Firms not already engaged on armament work or whose capacity has not been previously investigated by the Industrial Planning Directorate can, on application to the appropriate area office, obtain a form on which to record particulars as to their capacity—machine tools—skilled labour, etc., and the nature of stores or work for which they wish to be considered. It is, of course, not possible, within the limits of an answer to a Parliamentary question to detail all the steps taken to increase output now and in the future. It is the prime purpose of the Ministry to develop production on the enormous scale demanded by our war effort and to develop it in step with, and where possible ahead of, the needs of our armed Forces. Every practicable means to this end will be adopted.