HC Deb 16 May 1939 vol 347 cc1159-61
6. Mr. Edwards

asked the President of the Board of Trade the value of nickel

and copper products shipped from this country to Germany in the first quarter of the last 10 years; and the total value for the whole of each of these years?

The President of the Board of Trade (Mr. Oliver Stanley)

As the answer involves a number of figures I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the Official Report.

Mr. H. G. Williams

Do copper products include electric wires?

Mr. Stanley

My hon. Friend will see the descriptions set out in the answer.

Mr. Collindridge

Is there any increase in this year's imports as compared with last year's.

Mr. Stanley

No, Sir, there is a very large decrease.

Following is the answer:

and nickel ore, respectively, imported into this country in each of the last three years, showing the percentage from Canada?

Mr. Stanley

As the answer involves a number of figures I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. Kirkwood

Is the President aware that Britain and France hold the world monopoly of nickel, and that without nickel it is impossible to manufacture munitions of war? Does not the British Empire hold 90 per cent. and France 10 per cent., and will not the Government take some action to prevent its export from the Empire and France?

Mr. Stanley

I have answered this question before. Nickel, besides having uses for war material, has a very large peacetime use. I am informed that even at the present time with the enormous scale of rearmament in this country, the use of nickel for war material is only about 10 per cent. of the use of nickel in this country. It is clear that if the British Empire puts an embargo on the export of

Table showing the declared value of imports into the United Kingdom of nickel ore and unwrough nickel during the years 1936, 1937 and 1938, distinguishing the value of imports consigned from Canada.
— 1936. 1937. 1938.
Nickel Ore, concentrates and matte— £000. £000. £000.
Total imports (all from Canada) (a) 2,362 2,452
Nickel unwrought, in ingots, cathodes, cubes, rondels, pellets, shot, grain and powder, and nickel flakes—
Total imports 2,041 3,756 3,689
of which consigned from Canada 1,653 3,296 3,314
(a) Not recorded separately prior to 1937.
NOTE.—The figures for 1938 are provisional.