§ 16. Mr. Chetwyndasked the President of the Board of Trade what priority is being given to the supply of materials and labour for the construction of new factories in the North-East development area.
§ Sir S. CrippsThe supply of labour and materials for the construction of new factories in the development areas, including the North-East, is normally given the same priority as supply for housing requirements.
§ Mr. ChetwyndCan the right hon. and learned Gentleman say whether, in spite of the hold up due to the recent bad weather, there was any serious hold up in the construction of new factories on 626 account of the shortage of steel, bricks and building material?
§ Sir S. CrippsThere has been a hold up owing to the shortage of steel and in some places owing to the shortage of skilled labour, but the factory programme has had the same preference as the housing programme.
§ Mr. WilkesDoes not the Minister think that the time has come when it is necessary for the development areas to allocate priority one way or the other to housing or to factory development, and so stop the competition between the two rival schemes of development which is contributing much to the hold up of development in certain development areas?
§ Sir S. CrippsI do not think it has done much to hold up development. The number of materials used in competition and also the number of classes of labour in competition are small, but where there is competition we have to make the best arrangements we can to divide fairly the resources between the two.
§ Mr. Sidney ShephardCan the President say whether the same priority will be given to factories which are not built in development areas but which have been sponsored by his Department?
§ Sir S. CrippsAs a rule the priority only relates to development areas.
§ 17. Mr. Chetwyndasked the President of the Board of Trade how many of the 53 completed factories in the North-East development area are new projects; how many are extensions; and how many men and women are employed in each.
§ Sir S. CrippsOf the 53 completed factories in the North-Eastern development area six are new projects and 47 are extensions to existing factories. On 31st January, 1947, 306 persons (201 men and 105 women) were employed in the new factories and about 1,600 persons (500 men and 1,100 women) in the new extensions.
§ Mr. ChetwyndCan the right hon. and learned Gentleman give any indication of the average amount of time taken on these factories from the date of commencement?
§ Sir S. CrippsIt is very difficult with very differing size units to give an average time, but somewhere in the region of nine to 12 months should be taken.