§ 25. Mr. Bossomasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works and Buildings whether his Ministry has compiled any data or caused to be made an estimate of the total number of building-trade operatives now occupied upon essential war contracts; and how many additional operatives, skilled and unskilled, are required to enable all this work to be carried forward so that it will be completed on time?
§ Mr. HicksYes, Sir. The Ministry of Works and Buildings obtains each month from all the contracting Departments particulars of the numbers employed on contracts which they carry out or sponsor. It is estimated that the labour force now employed on these works is sufficient to complete during the 1942 building season the great majority of the works now in hand.
§ Mr. BossomWill my hon. Friend say whether they are behindhand with much of the Government work, and does he think that it would be advisable that more men should be engaged in order to make up for lost time?