§ 14 and 15. Mr. Norman Doddsasked the Minister of Works (1) the percentage increase in brick production for the first three months of 1952 compared with the same period in 1951;
193 (2) what success has attended his efforts to expand brick production; and to what extent it met the full needs of re-armament and the housing programme.
§ The Minister of Works (Mr. David Eccles)Brick production in the first three months of this year increased by 13 per cent. compared with the same period of 1951 and has met the needs of the building programme.
§ Mr. DoddsIs it not obvious to the Minister that very much more will have to be done if the many assurances given by the party opposite about house building are to be realised in the near future, and is he hopeful that during the next six months there will be an even larger increase than during the first six months?
§ Mr. EcclesI can only say that if production goes up 13 per cent. more than last year we shall get 800 million more bricks this year, which I think will be enough.
Mr. Hector McNeilWould the right hon. Gentleman agree that much of this increase is due to the provisions which his predecessors made both in relation to the physical expansion of the industry and the provision of labour?
§ Mr. EcclesI do not want to assess responsibility, but I think much of it is due to the confidence in the industry that the bricks will be wanted.