§ Mr. JOHNasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that building materials for certain contracts manufactured in other districts are being imported into the distressed areas of South Wales; and whether he will insist, seeing that prices and quality equal those quoted by outside manufacturers, upon local products being used when placing contracts under the Government's programme?
§ Sir V. WARRENDERI assume that the hon. Member is referring to War Department buildings. The amount of building work being carried out in South Wales under War Department contracts is at present small, and it is unlikely that building materials have been imported in appreciable quantities. I have, however, recently made an arrangement under which an appeal is made to firms who are invited to tender for building work in a distressed area to give the fullest consideration to obtaining their supplies of materials from works and firms situated in that area. I do not consider it practicable to insist that contractors should obtain the whole of their materials from this source.