§ 16. Brigadier Lowasked the Minister of Works whether he is aware that there were, at the beginning of October, 500,000 bricks stacked in Blackpool and a further 750,000 coming out of the kilns there; and whether he still intends to continue importing bricks from abroad at a substantial cost to the Exchequer.
§ 23. Wing-Commander Robinsonasked the Minister of Works what steps he is taking to implement the promise given by his Parliamentary Secretary to the hon. and gallant Member for South Blackpool, in a letter dated 21st October, to endeavour to arrange for the surplus bricks 429 produced in the Blackpool area to be shipped to areas which are short of supplies.
§ Mr. TomlinsonMy right hon. Friend the Minister of Health is bringing the situation to the notice of local authorities so that full use may be made of the available stocks of bricks at Blackpool. Imported bricks will only be used in areas where the local authority has been unable to obtain sufficient home produced bricks; I am making a statement with regard to imports in reply to Question No. 22.
§ Brigadier LowIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that his Department has been informed of this situation at Blackpool for much more than a month and that, despite promises by the Parliamentary Secretary, who has now gone away, nothing has been done at all; and in such a case, where bricks are in demand, should not something have been done more urgently?
§ Mr. TomlinsonI would not say that nothing had been done at all. Inquiries are being made in that area and the whole of the North-Western district with a view to seeing where the bricks can be used to the best advantage.
§ Wing-Commander RobinsonIs the Minister aware that in five weeks not one of these surplus bricks has yet been used although the Minister knew about it? Is the Minister in the meantime still importing Belgian bricks?
§ Mr. TomlinsonIn answer to the question about Belgian bricks, of course I am. They are on a contract that was made months ago when things were very scarce. It is true that it is a month since this matter was brought to our attention, but we are endeavouring to see that these bricks are supplied where they are needed.
§ Mrs. Jean MannDo these bricks bear any relation to the numerous bricks that were thrown about at a recent conference at Blackpool concerning the housing problem?
§ Mr. Martin LindsayAre we to understand that the Minister is unaware of these large stocks of bricks which accumulate unless hon. Members inform him?
§ 21. Wing-Commander Robinsonasked the Minister of Works what steps he is taking to arrange for the payment for and stacking of bricks manufactured throughout the winter against 1947 requirements and surplus to present demands.
§ Mr. TomlinsonI am discussing with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health ways and means of ensuring a steady demand for bricks for local authority work during the winter and I do not expect that any abnormal stacking arrangements will be found necessary.
§ Wing-Commander RobinsonIs the Minister aware that the surplus of bricks in the Blackpool area is now so great that the brick works no longer have any space to stack them? Will he undertake to use British bricks first and to keep his Belgian bricks as a reserve against emergencies?
§ Mr. TomlinsonI will certainly look into it, but to suggest that what is happening at Blackpool should determine what should happen with regard to 81 million bricks ordered from Belgium is putting the thing out of all proportion.
§ Brigadier LowIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that, if he had wanted them, he could have had one million bricks at once on demand from Blackpool, and half a million bricks every week? Since, however, he has made no arrangements to get that quantity of bricks, those bricks being produced have to be stacked, so will he do something about it?
§ Mr. TomlinsonI am certainly doing all I can about it, and I would say that I am grateful, at least, to the people of Blackpool who have made it possible for us to have a problem with regard to brick stacking.
§ Mr. LipsonCan my right hon. Friend say whether the position now is that there is no shortage of bricks to meet the overall demand?
§ Mr. TomlinsonNo, we are still restricted in the main to bricks that are to be used definitely for housing purposes and priority building of other kinds. The fact that there is a small surplus in one district is no indication that there is not a shortage in others.
§ Mr. EdenWe quite understand that, but could the right hon. Gentleman assure 431 us that, so far as housing is concerned, there is now no problem in respect of bricks?
§ Mr. TomlinsonI would not say there was not a problem, but I would say that we have sufficient bricks to meet requirements at the present time.
§ 22. Wing-Commander Robinsonasked the Minister of Works the loss involved per house where his Department sells Belgian bricks at market prices when acquired at prices in excess of the cost of home-produced bricks.
§ Mr. TomlinsonThe approximate cost of Belgian bricks of English size at port in this country exceeds the controlled price for comparable home-produced bricks by an amount which varies from port to port. The average excess is about £3 10s. per thousand bricks, and the loss per house, if Belgian bricks only are used, would on the average be in the neighbourhood of £70. I would add that the Government do not contemplate adding to their existing contracts for Belgian bricks which are expected to run out next March.
§ Wing-Commander RobinsonCan the Minister, therefore, give us the figures of the total loss involved in the purchase of these 81 million Belgian bricks?
§ Mr. TomlinsonNot at this stage.
§ Sir W. SmithersDoes not all this prove that under State control the breakdown of distribution is inevitable?
§ Wing-Commander RobinsonMay I give notice that, in view of the Minister's unsatisfactory reply, I will raise the whole matter on the Adjournment at the earliest possible opportunity?