§ 47. Mr. Shurmerasked the Minister of Works if he is aware that there is a shortage of bricks and cement in Brmingham and district which, if allowed to continue, will mean a slowing down in the rate of house, school and factory building; and if he will take action at once to remedy this situation.
§ Mr. EcclesI am aware that there are shortages of bricks and cement in Birmingham and district but supplies, already at a higher rate than in 1952, are increasing. Provided due economy is exercised in the use of these materials, I do not expect the rate of building to be seriously affected.
§ Mr. ShurmerIs the Minister aware that some firms are quoting as long a period as eight months for the delivery of bricks? Is he aware that one contractor has not had a delivery of cement since February and that he is having to move cement from site to site? Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that this morning I had news that unskilled and some skilled workers are out of work in the building trade in Birmingham because of lack of materials? Is that the way to go on with building?
§ Mr. EcclesI think the hon. Member can congratulate his constituents, because the deliveries of cement in the first 17 weeks of this year were 17 per cent. above those of the corresponding period last year, which is a very remarkable achievement. I should say the comparative figure for bricks was about 9 per cent. The fact is that these are the growing pains of a successful building programme. We have also been blessed with remarkably dry weather.
§ 48. Mr. Crouchasked the Minister of Works how many bricks have been manufactured during the last three months for which figures are available; and what was the corresponding output for 1949, 1950, 1951 and 1952.
§ Mr. EcclesThe output of bricks during the months of January, February and March, 1953, compared with the output for the corresponding months of the previous four years, was as follows:
| Million | |||||
| 1949 | … | … | … | … | 1,188 |
| 1950 | … | … | … | … | 1,428 |
| 1951 | … | … | … | … | 1,414 |
| 1952 | … | … | … | … | 1,598 |
| 1953 | … | … | … | … | 1,716 |
§ Mr. CrouchIs my right hon. Friend aware that these figures will be very much welcomed in the country, and will help towards answering the charge that there is a shortage of bricks? Of course there is a shortage of bricks when we are building two houses for every one built under the previous Administration.
§ 49. Mr. Crouchasked the Minister of Works what quantity of cement has been manufactured during the last three months for which figures are available; and what was the corresponding output for 1949, 1950, 1951 and 1952.
§ Mr. EcclesThe output of Portland cement during the months of January, February and March, 1953, compared with the output for the corresponding months of the previous four years was as follows:
The output this year would have been higher but for the floods.
million tons 1949 … … … … 2.06 1950 … … … … 2.17 1951 … … … … 2.33 1952 … … … … 2.53 1953 … … … … 2.55
§ Mr. CrouchWill my right hon. Friend continue this good work, and do everything he can to increase the output?
§ Mr. EcclesI thank my hon. Friend but the Ministry of Works neither produces nor distributes building materials.