§ 124. Mr. Doddsasked the Minister of Works by how much the building licence granted to Robinson and Cleavers, Bournemouth, in the sum of £1,674 was exceeded; and whether a retail drapery and clothing store previously existed on the site.
§ Mr. KeyThe £1,674 expenditure authorised by the licence granted to Robinson and Cleaver's, Bournemouth, has not been exceeded. I am informed that before the wartime requisitioning the premises in which the shop is situated were used as a motor showroom and offices.
§ 125. Mr. Doddsasked the Minister of Works why the building licence granted to Daniel Neal's, Bournemouth, in the sum of £4,316 was exceeded; and whether there previously existed a retail outfitting and shoe shop.
§ Mr. KeyThe £4,316 expenditure authorised by the licence granted to Daniel Neal's, Bournemouth, has not been exceeded. I am informed that, before the wartime requisitioning, the premises in which the shop is situated were used as a motor showroom and offices.
§ 129. Mr. Watkinsasked the Minister of Works how much of the expenditure of £6,505 that was licensed for "Cwrt-yr-Aber," Aberedw, Radnorshire, was authorised by the Colwyn Rural District Council; what protests they made against the issuing of licences; and what explanation he has for this waste of labour and material.
§ Mr. KeyIn September, 1946, the Colwyn Rural District Council authorised £55 to be spent on work in connection with the water supply. In June, 1947, the Council protested against the issue of a supplementary licence to cover the cost of work which had been authorised by my Department in July, 1946. All this work was recommended by the War Agricultural Executive Committee and by the Ministry of Agriculture, and I cannot agree that there has been a waste of labour and materials.
§ Mr. J. Lewis133, 134 and 135. asked the Minister of Works (1) what representations he has received from the President of the Board of Trade regarding the conversion of the Embassy Cinema, Bolton, into 140W a retail distributive store to withdraw the licence or put a stop to the work now going on pursuant to the granting of the licence, on the grounds that mistakes have been made by one or both Departments in this matter;
(2) if he is aware that in a letter addressed to the hon. Member for Bolton, the President of the Board of Trade made it clear that the Board of Trade did not specifically approve the granting of a licence by his Department for the conversion of the Embassy Cinema in Bolton into a retail distributive store; and if he will make a detailed statement on the relationship between the two Departments in regard to matters of his kind, specifying the procedure adopted and the extent to which a project of this kind would have to be sponsored by the Board of Trade before a licence would be granted by his Department;
(3) since the granting of a licence by his Department for the conversion of the Embassy Cinema, in Bolton, into a retail distributive store will have the effect of drawing labour from the cotton mills and is thus in direct conflict with the declared policy of His Majesty's Government, who are seeking to reverse the process, if he will state what action he intends to take in the matter.
§ Mr. KeyThe letter from my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade explained that his Department when first approached by the company informed them that consideration would be given to a detailed application if it were prepared with due regard to the need for the utmost economy in controlled building materials, and if the work could be carried out without detriment to more important schemes in the district, and that the subsequent application for a building licence was forwarded to my Regional Officer with a covering letter from his Department intimating that they saw no reason for discouraging the project. The licence was granted last June; the work is in progress, and about half the expenditure involved has been incurred. In the circumstances, I cannot agree that there has been any mistake in my Department, or that I should be justified in revoking the licence. With regard to the labour situation in the area, I canot add to what was said by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade on 2nd December. The arrangement for consultation between my Department and the Board of 141W Trade is that applications for the erection of new shop premises or the expansion or rebuilding of shops are referred for sponsorship to the Board of Trade before a licence is issued. Where it is a question of the repair or alteration of existing pre-raises my Department may consult the Board of Trade if consumer need is in question.
§ Group-Captain Wilcockasked the Minister of Works whether the Wallpaper Manufacturers Company Limited at Derby are going to be granted a licence in order that they may build a new factory and so be able to stop work at their present factory in Derby from which mica dust is being thrown into the air to the discomfiture of the inhabitants in the vicinity of the present factory.
§ Mr. KeyNo application for a building licence has been made to my Ministry. Under the terms of the White Paper on Capital Investment in 1948 the issue of licences for new industrial buildings will be limited for at least six months to projects of exceptional importance and I am advised that the Board of Trade are not prepared to support the issue of a licence at the present time.