§ 106. Mr. Piratinasked the Minister of Works the number of licences and their value that have been granted for building repairs by his Department during the last monthly period for the London region; the number of licences and their value granted by the local authorities in the same period in the London region; and in each case, respectively, the amounts for housing and non-.housing repairs.
§ Mr. KeyDuring April last my Ministry issued in the London region 3,719 licences totalling £2,368,011 in value for repairs. £2,343,730 was for non-housing and £24,281 for housing repairs. During the same period, local authorities in that region issued 32,112 licences for repairs totalling £2,748,955 in value of which £2,526,045 was for housing and £222,910 for non-housing work.
§ 109. Sir W. Smithersasked the Minister of Works in view of the serious position in which small and medium-sized maintenance builders find themselves, if he will extend the £10 limit to £100 for all maintenance repairs and facilitate the granting of licences for work and materials: and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. KeyThe shortage of materials makes it inadvisable to relax the controls by which they are directed to essential62W work. Licensing authorities are instructed to use their licensing powers in order to avoid local unemployment.