§ Colonel Stoddart-Scottasked the Minister of Works (1) if he is prepared to grant a subsidy to West Riding brick manufacturers who have vast quantities of bricks in stock and are closing down owing to lack of orders, so that they may sell bricks to the North Eastern area at a price similar to firms receiving a Government subsidy;
(2) why a subsidy of £62,000 is being paid to the London Brick Company; and if he is aware that this subsidy has enabled the London Brick Company to deliver bricks in Scotland at a price which 155W has caused Scottish brickyards to stop manufacturing bricks and dismiss their employees.
§ Mr. KeyThe temporary scheme of assistance to brickworks in financial difficulty owing to lack of orders expired at the end of last month and I am not prepared to revive it. No brickmakers in West Riding have taken advantage of the scheme. No subsidy has been paid to the London Brick Company, but, owing to the shortage of bricks in Scotland a year ago, certain Scottish local authorities bought a number of Fletton bricks and were refunded the difference between local prices at Scottish brickyards and the cost of Flettons at the appropriate Scottish railhead. I am not aware that any Scottish brickyard closed as a result of that transaction