§ Mr. Urwinasked the Minister of Public Building and Works what measures his Department has taken to persuade employers in the construction industry to provide facilities to ensure continuous production in wintertime; and what results have been achieved.
§ Mr. BoydenThe measures taken by the Ministry include publicity, and contract requirements in the public sector.
Publicity action taken includes the issue of a film, and programmes of lectures throughout the country, reports, pamphlets and articles, and a catalogue of equipment. I shall be opening a Conference on Winter Building organised in co-operation with the Scottish Office, on 9th February.
149WThe Ministry includes in its contract specification clauses on cold weather working, and tenderers are informed that they should maintain continuity of working and productivity during severe weather wherever practicable. Other public authorities have been asked to issue comparable notices to tenderers.
There is evidence that the adoption of the appropriate measures, many of them relatively simple and cheap, is spreading throughout the industry as their benefits become better known. We are keeping a watch on developments and are considering what further steps are called for.