§ Mr. RENDALLasked the President of the Local Government Board whether he is aware that the Ministry of Munitions set up a large concrete-slab factory at Yate, Gloucestershire, close to the railway station, and employed at the date of the Armistice some 300 to 400 workers; that, since, all the employés have been discharged, and a large number are still in receipt of out-of-work pay to the extent of hundreds of pounds weekly; that the factory covers an area of 1,107,053 cubic feet, has up-to-date machinery driven by electricity, and is capable of turning out a quantity of urgently needed building necessities, woodwork as well as concrete material; that many hundreds of houses; are required in the immediate neighbourhood of the factory; and will he see whether immediate use can be made of premises specially competent to speed up the building of houses?
§ Mr. KELLAWAYI have been asked to reply to this question. Representatives of the Ministry and the Local Government Board are visiting Yate to ascertain whether the factory can in any way be utilised for the production of material in connection with the Government Housing Programme.