HC Deb 22 April 1969 vol 782 cc238-9
14. Mr. Goodhart

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works whether he will make a further statement about brick stocks.

Mr. Mellish

At the end of March stocks of bricks were provisionally estimated at 947 million.

Mr. Goodhart

As brick production is lower than in September, 1964, when the Prime Minister called for a dramatic increase in production, should not manufacturers be producing more bricks? But as brick stocks are now at an all-time record high, what will manufacturers do with the extra bricks?

Mr. Mellish

I dealt with this matter the last time I answered Questions. The industry produces X number of bricks. I did not ask it to produce that number. It did it because it expected a certain demand, and its anticipations were wrong. This is a private enterprise sector of industry, and I am not responsible for any over-estimation it makes.

Sir Frank Pearson

Does the Minister recognise that the brick industry has had the worst winter in living memory and that many firms have been forced into bankruptcy? Could he give any indication as to how he sees brick stocks being gradually run down over the next two or three months?

Mr. Mellish

As the hon. Gentleman rightly said, one problem has been the appalling weather, certainly in the early part of this year. The brick stocks built up. I have written to my right hon. Friend the Minister of Housing and Local Government to see whether we can have earlier starts inside the public sector, because I want to help the industry. I am not so much concerned with the immediate future. It is the present that I am concerned with.