§ Mr. Boydenasked the Minister of Public Building and Works what was the value of construction work lost in the North-East because of the weather in January and February, 1963; and what special action has been taken to ensure a smoother flow of building output in future winters.
Mr. SharpiesWe estimate that in the first quarter of this year about 10 per cent. of the annual value of construction work was lost over the country as a whole; but we cannot estimate as precisely the effect in the North-East.
It is for builders and their clients to decide whether the cost of special action to protect particular building sites is justified, but we are considering what further research is needed, and what can be done to make present knowledge more widely available.