§ 8. Mr. Patrick Maitlandasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will take steps to prevent foreign bricks being imported for housebuilding when stone is available.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftI do not think that it would be practicable or desirable to relate imports into the United Kingdom of bricks to the availability of stone. Imports of bricks amount to less than one-sixth of 1 per cent. of home production, and I would remind my hon. Friend that we could not hope to go on selling large quantities of manufactured consumer goods to Western Europe if we were to restrict our imports from them more than our balance of payments situation makes absolutely necessary.
§ Mr. MaitlandWhile thanking my right hon. Friend for his reply and appreciating the balance of payment problem, may I ask whether he is aware that recently an order for about £40,000 worth of bricks went to Belgium from the City of Dundee when there was enough stone to hand in a declining industry which would have met the need?
§ Mr. ThorneycroftThe import of bricks is a minute fraction of home production and it would be impracticable to relate licences for the import of bricks to the possible availability of stone somewhere in the country.