§ Mr. A. Edwardsasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works and Buildings whether he can give the average cost of production at works of Portland cement, giving highest and lowest figures; whether he is aware that 202W cement made from slag is, for certain work, superior to ordinary cement; and whether it is his intention to encourage the expansion of the use of slag for cement manufacturing?
§ Mr. HicksI regret that I am unable to make public the costings of cement works which are submitted to my Ministry in confidence. In the second part of his Question, my hon. Friend no doubt refers to blast furnace cement, certain classes of which are of high quality. As I have stated on previous occasions, my Ministry has taken a close interest in promoting the expansion of blast furnace cement. Neither the labour nor the steel position, however, would justify the establishment of new works.