asked the Minister of Public Building and Works if he will give an assurance that public works expenditure will be maintained or expanded at a steady rate, in view of current anxiety in the building materials industry regarding the difficulties of planning under conditions where demand is alternately expanded and contracted.

Public expenditure on construction is increasing steadily and as the White Paper on "Public Expenditure in 1963–64 and 1967–68" shows, the intention is that this trend should be maintained.

Does my right hon. Friend appreciate that with the growth of the use of prefabricated buildings the manufacturers of traditional building materials have reason for anxiety? Will he give some reassurance on this issue?

As I have said on a number of occasions, the achievement of the expanding programme of construction will entail an increased use of all available resources.