§ 97. Mr. Hurdasked the Minister of Materials if he is now able to announce further easing of controls on the use of softwood for particular purposes where economy in building and construction costs will result.
§ Sir A. SalterI hope within a few weeks to have the results of the assessment mentioned in my reply to my hon. Friend on the 20th April; and the possibility of any easing of controls over softwood for building and construction will then be at once examined. I cannot now give an assurance of immediate or substantial relaxations of the present licensing arrangements for softwood for building purposes since it is possible that that assessment may show that this is a field in which a very large increase in softwood consumption might take place with a correspondingly serious effect on our balance of payments.