§ Major CRAWFURDasked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the admitted existence of combines for dealing in building materials, he will advise his Department, local authorities, and architects interested in building schemes involving a Government subsidy, to avoid specifying materials supplied only by combined firms, and thus give to the manufacturers who are outside such combines the opportunity of supplying materials to serve the needs of the. community?
§ Sir K. WOODMy right hon. Friend has no reason to suppose that local authorities and their architects are not fully aware of the importance of framing their specifications to provide for the widest practicable choice of materials with a view to securing the most advantageous price and he does not think that any special action on his part is called for.