BRITISH INDUSTRY

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23317, 28 September 1945, Page 5

BRITISH INDUSTRY

Progress In Planned Reconversion LONDON, September 26. As pari of the planned reconversion of British industry from wartime to peacetime production, another 24 Government factories have been allocated for civilian production, it was announced by the Board of Trade. The total cf British factories which have returned to civilian industry now numbers 117. They provide vzork for nearly 250,000 persons. It was also announced that three ordnance factories are to be used as trading estates. Building licences for industrial premises have also been granted and in spite of the housing shortage, and the statement that all building workers are to be used on houses, 8 new factories are to be built. A majority will be erected by private firms, but some will be built by the State and leased. They are all in what are known as the four (development) areas —North-east England, South Wales, West Cumberland and the Scottish industrial belt, and it is anticipated that they will be ready in six to eight months. The reasons of the Board of Trade for building new factories are that most are in former distressed areas, where work rather than homes is the chief necessity, and that the licences have gone to firms interested in exporting. Twenty-four factories turned over to civilian production will begin the production of such thing's as radios, bicycles, machine tool and kitchen products and zipfasteners. Three ordnance factories in Durham. Glamorgan and Merseyside, which will be converted into trading estates for medium and smaller firms, will produce silk and rayon goods, plastics, cutlery, clothing and light engineering products.