§ 47. Mr. Bossomasked the Lord President of the Council if he will appoint a special commission to investigate the causes and cures in all forms of dry rot and worm rot in structures and produce proposals of administrative measures to prevent and check further spread of this epidemic.
§ The Lord President of the Council (Mr. Herbert Morrison)The Forest Products Research Laboratory of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research is conducting research on the subjects of dry rot and the insects that attack timber. Much information has been obtained and this is published in leaflets, books and articles in the technical and general Press; a film has been completed and is now in circulation and a special travelling exhibition is visiting 20 towns in the course of the next eight months. Every endeavour is thus being made to bring information on the prevention and cure of dry rot and insect attack to the attention of builders, architects, housing authorities and householders. In these circumstances, I do not think that a special commission is necessary.
§ Colonel Gomme-DuncanWill the right hon. Gentleman take steps to see that this exhibition makes it quite clear that the very prevalent idea that it is the "Black Watch Beetle" that attacks wood is quite wrong?