§ Sir E. LAMBasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether any steps are to be taken by the Director of Timber Supplies to obtain a substantial reduction of the timber employed in the United Kingdom by encouraging the use of such substitutes as concrete and reinforced concrete in the construction of temporary buildings used for war purposes; and whether any similar steps will be taken to encourage a more general use of reinforced concrete for t[...]graph poles, fence posts, railway sleepers, and pit props, etc., by circulating particulars of the satisfactory experience obtained in the United States and several Continental countries?
§ Mr. FORSTERThe use of concrete and ferro-concrete as a substitute for timber in the construction of buildings, and for railway and colliery purposes, has been receiving careful attention for some time past. I will consider the suggestion made in the last part of the question.
§ Sir E. LAMBasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he can see his way to notify the various spending Departments of His Majesty's Government of the advantages of utilising wherever possible concrete, comprising local aggregates with home-made binding materials, in lieu of timber, which has to be largely carried by sea or rail; whether he is aware that the life of concrete is naturally longer than that of timber; that the cost of maintenance of temporary buildings constructed of concrete is a negligible item, whilst the cost of maintaining timber structures is often heavy; and that concrete fence posts, telegraph posts, and similar accessories are to-day cheaper than timber fence posts, telegraph posts, etc.; and whether he can see his way to set up a small technical committee to advise the spending Departments, the railway companies, the factory owners, and the public generally how best to effect substantial economies by using local aggregates and home-made binding materials, whereby money would be kept in the country and a substantial amount of tonnage, railway freight, and cartage released for purposes of national importance?
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§ Sir ALFRED MONDMy right hon. Friend has asked me to reply to this question. The various Departments of His Majesty's Government concerned in the erection of permanent or temporary buildings are well aware of the advantages of concrete, both as regards initial expense and the subsequent charges for maintenance. A Cabinet Instruction has already been issued as to the necessity of avoiding the use of timber wherever possible. In view of the fact that all building operations are now restricted to those sanctioned by a Government Department and that all the Departments concerned are alive to the necessity for utilising substitutes for timber in the cases mentioned, I do not think that any useful purpose would be served by the appointment of a technical advisory committee such as is suggested.
§ Sir E. LAMBasked the First Commissioner of Works whether he can see his way to take steps to employ, to a greater extent than heretofore, concrete and reinforced concrete for the numerous buildings which are being erected by his Department for war purposes, so that a substantial economy may be effected in the amount of timber utilised; and whether he is aware that concrete hollow blocks, concrete, and reinforced concrete are non-proprietary products, comprising to the extent of about two-thirds of their bulk local aggregate, such as gravel, ballast, or stone, and that a material economy in transportation would be effected by a more general use of such materials in lieu of timber?
§ Sir A. MONDMy Department has for many years past resorted to the use of reinforced concrete for buildings erected under its supervision, and since the War has used not only that method of construction, but also concrete slabs and brickwork for constructional purposes in suitable instances in lieu of timber, and from inquiries which I have made I am satisfied that no further substantial economy can be effected in this direction The reply to the latter part of the question is still being continued?