§ MR. D. A. THOMASI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade if he can state the quantity of iron ore imported last year into South Wales ports; whether he is aware that the steel works of Glamorganshire and Monmouthshire are entirely dependent for their supplies upon ore imported from Spain and Algeria, and that the percentage of iron in the ore imported from Bilbao shows a continuous falling off owing to the best quality ore becoming exhausted; and whether the Government has received any notification from the Spanish Government that it intends placing a duty on exported ore beyond that required to meet shipping and dock expenses, with a view to conserve its mineral wealth, which is being rapidly worked out and cannot be replaced.
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe quantity of iron ore imported last year into South Wales ports was 1,036,586 tons. There are no official statistics respecting the countries of origin of the iron ore used in steel works in Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, or the percentage of iron in the ore imported from Bilbao. No notification has been received from the Spanish Government of the nature referred to in the last paragraph of the question.