§ 9. Mr. Ellisasked the Minister of Public Building and Works whether he is satisfied that production and stocks of bricks and cement are adequate for the seasonal increase in building which is expected, and that no hold-ups will occur due to shortages of these materials; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MellishI am satisfied that there will be no national hold-ups due to shortages of either bricks or cement in the next few months.
§ Mr. EllisWhile thanking my right hon. Friend for that reply, may I ask him how many days' supply are on hand in these commodities?
§ Mr. MellishAbout one month's supply of bricks is in hand, which is very satisfactory. The demand for cement last year was 17.2 million tons and the capacity for this year is over 20 million tons. The delivery of bricks in March was 94 million up on the previous month.