§ 117. Mr. Awberyasked the Minister of Works if, in applying the restriction on building work for the next three months, he will arrange for those towns that were heavily damaged in the war to receive some priority for their re-building in order that they may restore business to normal as quickly as possible.
§ Mr. EcclesNo. On taking office the Government found that more buildings had been started than could be economically completed with the labour and materials available. Accordingly the temporary restriction on fresh building work was imposed in the general interest so that this over-loading could quickly be corrected and better progress made on work already in hand. It is, therefore, in the interests of the war-damaged towns that we should make this period as short as possible by allowing exceptions only for cases of extreme urgency.