§ 7. Mr. Kingasked the Minister of Works how many persons who were in the building or civil engineering trades between May, 1939, and October, 1941, have been registered as builders during the present year; what are the principles on which committees deal with such registration; and whether, in view of the expansion of the building trade, arrangements will be made to ensure such applications for registration are not turned down in the case of qualified men unless the capacity of the builder's district is greatly in excess of the building work which is becoming available for them.
§ Mr. TomlinsonIn the period from 1st January, 1945, to 12th December, 1945, 7,632 persons, who could show that they had carried on a building or civil engineering undertaking between 1st May, 1939, and 1st October, 1941, were registered. All such applicants are entitled to be registered as of right. In addition, 9,029 persons, of whom 4,613 were ex-Service-men, were registered under the discretionary powers conferred on me by Defence Regulation 56AB, and on the basis of recommendations made by the Indepen- 1090 dent Committee set up to advise me on this matter. Under the Regulation, such applications are granted if this is justified by local or general needs.