§ Mr. Patrick Maitlandasked the Secretary of State for Scotland the result of discussions which he initiated with the Scottish Council in 1953 about the Report of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research upon' the stone-building industry.
§ Mr. J. StuartThe Scottish Council has had discussions with representative bodies in the stone-quarrying and stone-building industries and with the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland. The Council's activities have helped to maintain interest in stone-building in Scotland and a number of suggestions, including some concerned with the improvement of publicity, are still being followed up.
Wherever practicable stone is incorporated in Government buildings. It 109W is also used in other public buildings, and the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board in particular gives special consideration to its use in its schemes. Stone is also being used in some instances in house building by local authorities in stone-quarrying areas.
§ Mr. Patrick Maitlandasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people were employed in the stone-building industry in Scotland each year since the war and at the latest convenient date.
§ Mr. J. StuartThe numbers of masons employed by contractors, local authorities and public utilities* in Scotland for the years 1946–54 were as follows:
1946 … … … 2004 1947 … … … 2407 1948 … … … 2833 1949 … … … 2819 1950 … … … 2623 1951 … … … 2811 1952 … … … 2673 1953 … … … 2812 1954 … … … 2829 In the Scottish stone-quarrying industry (which covers more than building stone) the numbers of insured workers employed in each year since 1946 were as follows:
1946 … … … 3768† 1947 … … … 4178† 1948 … … … 5040 1949 … … … 4850 1950 … … … 4840 1951 … … … 4990 1952 … … … 4670 1953 … … … 4730 1954 … … … 4370 *From time to time a varying proportion of these masons may be employed on forms of building other than stone-building. † These figures are not comparable with those for subsequent years, because of changes in National Insurance.