§ Sir W. Smithersasked the Minister of Works what are the names and addresses of the firms or companies in the brick industry which he nominated to the Ministry of Fuel and Power to receive 90 per cent. of their fuel requirements during the coal crisis in early 1947; what was the production of bricks thereby assured; how far it contributed to the present excess stocks of over 150 million of standard common bricks; and to what extent those instructions deprived other industries of fuel at that time.
§ Mr. KeyThere was no such nomination as the hon. Member suggests. The remainder of the Question does not, therefore, arise. Present stocks of bricks only amount to the equivalent of about two weeks' deliveries and cannot be regarded as excessive.
Region. No. of Operatives Employed on Brick Production. British. Poles & European Volunteer Workers. German Prisoners of war. Total Northern 2,446 18 4 2,468 East and West Riding of Yorkshire 2,759 11 139 2,909 North Midland 4,791 232 1,419 6,442 Eastern 2,436 543 493 3,472 London 429 11 6 446 Southern 3,039 495 578 4,112 South Western 1,226 26 44 1,296 Wales 2,148 84 12 2,244 Midland 3,394 36 203 3,633 North Western 5,065 101 — 5,166 Scotland 3,184 31 35 3,250 South Eastern 2,685 74 220 2,979 TOTAL 33,602 1,662 3,153 38,417 I contemplate that most of the German prisoners of war will have to be replaced.
§ Sir W. Smithersasked the Minister of Works to what purpose is it proposed that some hundred million standard common bricks lying idle in brick yards will be put, while similar bricks are being carried by
444W
§ Sir W. Smithersasked the Minister of Works what percentage of coal requirements he certified to the Ministry of Fuel and Power to enable the present winter allocations for the brick industry to be calculated, showing the percentage applied to each region separately.
§ Mr. KeyThe allocation of coal made to the brick industry for the present winter, taken in conjunction with a 10 per cent. withdrawal from stocks, has been calculated so as to enable the existing production rate of bricks to continue. There has been no discrimination between regions.
§ Sir W. Smithersasked the Minister of Works what is the number of British operatives, German prisoners of war and European volunteer workers, respectively, employed in brick making in the various regions of the brick making industry; and whether in view of the proposed cuts in capital expenditure in housing and factory work he proposes to replace the German prisoners of war.
§ Mr. KeyThe number of operatives employed on 9th December, 1947, were as follow:
rail over considerable distances to sites adjacent to those stocks.
§ Mr. KeyWithout much stronger measures of control I could not ensure that the stock of bricks at a particular works will find a purchaser at the price at which it is offered. The stocks amount in total to the equivalent of about two 445W weeks' deliveries and cannot be regarded as an excessive working margin.
§ Sir W. Smithersasked the Minister of Works what is the present and prewar monthly outputs of common bricks in each of the brick making regions; in view of the proposed cuts in factory and house building, what are his plans for the adjustment of production to requirements in each area; whether consideration will be given to the necessity of retaining the present force of trained British labour in all yards for future requirements; and, in view of the burden placed on the railway system by the transport of common standard bricks, if he will give an assurance that the necessity of retaining production adjacent by road to building requirements will be borne in mind.
§ Mr. KeyThe output of common bricks in each of the regions and in Scotland and Wales for the month of October, 1947, was as follows:
Northern … 23,811,000 East and West Ridings … 27,827,000 North Midlands … 66,389,000 Eastern … 42,225,000 London … 1,156,000 South Eastern … 14,290,000 Southern … 39,365,000 South Western … 12,034,000 Midlands … 22,438,000 North Western … 47,184,000 Scotland … 43,589,000 Wales … 19,138,000 Total 359,446,000 Comparable figures for prewar output are not available.
With regard to the second part of the Question I would refer the hon. Member to Paragraph 7 of the White Paper on Capital Investment in 1948. The Labour requirements of the industry and the geographical distribution of its output will be kept under review.