HC Deb 19 March 1928 vol 215 c44W
Sir B. PETO

asked the Minister of Transport whether his attention has been called to the fact that during the month of January the imports of foreign broken road-stone into this country amounted to 16,097 tons, and that during the past four years nearly 1,000,000 tons of road-stone and 650,000 tons of setts and kerbing have been imported into this country at a cost of £2,750,000; whether he is aware that there are 2,000 men in the road-stone industry at present unemployed, and that British quarries are capable of supplying all the material required for the roads of the country; and if he will consider making it a condition of any grant from the Road Fund for the maintenance and repair of district as well as main roads that only British material should be used on them?

Colonel ASHLEY

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I have given to-day to a similar question by my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Basingstoke (Sir A. Holbrook), of which I am sending him a copy.