Bricks (Prices) (Hansard, 14 June 1948)

§ 17. Mr. Marples
asked the Minister of Works on what date in 1948 his Department sent a letter agreeing to an increase in the maximum prices of bricks; has it since been adhered to by the Government; or for what reasons it has been departed from.

§ Mr. Key
On 16th February my Department notified the National Federation of Clay Industries that I proposed to agree to an increase in the maximum prices of bricks. The implementation of this decision, however, was overtaken by the removal of statutory control.

§ Lieut.-Commander Braithwaite
Does that apply to bricks dropped by the Lord President of the Council?

§ Mr. Marples
Does the right hon. Gentleman think it desirable that a Government Department should fail to honour its undertakings in this matter?

§ Mr. Key
It was not a question of failing to honour an undertaking. There was later an agreement to remove all controls from the brick industry, and that I did.

§ Mr. Marples
May I take it that the letter did not authorise an increase of prices, but said that controls would be removed; and was that the only thing in the letter?

§ Mr. Key
The letter indicated that I had given consideration to the problem and was prepared to deal with the question of raising the price of bricks; but in the meantime I took up with the industry the removal of all controls in order to give them freedom as far as they were concerned.