§ 32. Mr. Sparksasked the Minister of Transport if he is aware of the large order for wagons being placed by the British Transport Commission with private firms, while railway workshops are short of work and railway shopmen redundant; and if he will take steps to secure an adequate allocation of steel to British Railways in order that railway workshops may be fully employed.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThis order is in line with normal railway policy of building a proportion of their wagon requirements in private shops. Private wagon manufacturers are subject to the same procedure of allocation of available steel supplies as the railways. I expect that there will be an increase in the allocation of steel to the British Railways workshops for the period beginning 1st January, 1953.
§ Mr. SparksWhile thanking the right hon. Gentleman for that welcome news for next year, may I ask how he accounts for the fact that private firms apparently have a sufficient supply of steel to take upon themselves quite abnormal and exceptional orders for railway wagons? Does it not rather imply that their allocation of steel is rather more than their normal requirements?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThey are not getting an extra, abnormal allocation of steel. In a later Question, though it is from a different angle, I shall deal with the same point again.
§ 34. Mr. Championasked the Minister of Transport if he is aware of the fact that privately-owned railway wagon building shops are being fully employed on orders for British Railways while railway-owned shops are under-employed because of a shortage of steel; and if he will take steps to secure a larger allocation of steel for railway purposes.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydNo, Sir. My information is that the privately-owned railway wagon building shops are, I am sorry to say, still working well below capacity.
On the matter of the railways' steel allocation, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I have given today to the hon. Member for Acton (Mr. Sparks).