HC Deb 28 February 1945 vol 408 cc1374-7
52. Captain Thorneycroft

asked the Minister of Supply whether he is aware that there are, approximately, 5,000,000 tyres lying on rubber dumps throughout the country and that approximately 8 per cent. of these tyres are suitable for re-use after treatment; and what action he proposes to take to make use of these resources.

Sir A. Duncan

I am unable to accept my hon. and gallant Friend's estimate of the percentage of usable tyres in scrap rubber depots. A check carried out at one of the largest depots yielded less than 3 per cent. of tyres suitable for re-use after treatment. The probable yield of a large-scale examination of the depots would not justify the employment of the very large labour force required.

Captain Thorneycroft

Does my right hon. Friend realise that these advertisements to "Save your tyres" are of very little use, so long as these enormous quantities are lying about in dumps in the country?

Sir A. Duncan

No, Sir, on the contrary, the "enormous quantities" of tyres of which the hon. and gallant Members speaks, are not fit to be on cars.

Captain Thorneycroft

Surely my right hon. Friend knows that even if some of these are unsuitable for the road, a very large number could be used on agricultural work?

Sir A. Duncan

The amount of labour required to sort out something like 3 per cent. of these tyres would be out of all proportion to any advantage that would be obtained from them.

Mr. Robertson

Will my right hon. Friend bear in mind that labour is urgently needed for houses in this country, and will he prevent the use of labour for supplying tyres to second-hand dealers, some of whose products have already gone into the black market?

Sir Percy Harris

Will the right hon. Gentleman take steps to prevent the throwing of comparatively good tyres on to these dumps, and to stop this waste?

Sir A. Duncan

I want to make it quite clear that there is no risk of comparatively good tyres getting on to these dumps. Before they go to these dumps, the tyres are all carefully sorted out at our sorting stations. They are closely examined, and any tyre which is fit for re-treading is re-treaded, and any tyre which is fit for re-conditioning is re-conditioned. An odd tyre may slip through an examination of that kind, and I should not like to say that there is no tyre on these dumps that might not be re-conditioned, but I am sure there is no tyre on these dumps that could be re-treaded.

Mr. Bowles

Would they be any good for babies' teats?

Mr. Quintin Hogg

Quite apart from the question as to whether these tyres could be reconditioned as tyres, is it not the fact that they contain a valuable proportion of rubber which could reasonably be salvaged?

Sir A. Duncan

That is precisely what they are there for. They are being used to the full extent to which reclaimed rubber is in demand at the present time, but the arrival of synthetic rubber has greatly cut down the use of reclaimed rubber, and the number of applications to which reclaimed rubber may be put has been severely limited in the present stringency. However, these tyres will all one day be used.

53. Mr. Summers

asked the Minister of Supply, how many used tyres there were on 1st January in dumps throughout the country; how the number compares with that held on 1st January, 1944; and the longest period that material quantities have been so stored since collection.

Sir A. Duncan

There were 5,000,000 at the beginning of this year as compared with 3,250,000 at the beginning of last year. I regret that the information asked for in the last part of the Question is not available.

Mr. Summers

Inasmuch as the stocks appear to have increased substantially during the last 12 months, and there is a great shortage of rubber, cannot more active steps be taken to bring these reserves into use?

Sir A. Duncan

I have already explained that the reason these cannot be put into use as reclaimed rubber is because we have no more uses for reclaimed rubber at the present time. However, these tyres will one day, when normal activities are resumed, again be a very valuable stock indeed for reclaimed rubber.

Mr. Hogg

Is not the right hon. Gentleman aware that the President of the Board of Trade has been assuring us constantly that he cannot get rubber for various purposes for which we are asking him to allocate it?

Sir A. Duncan

There is no purpose for which the Board of Trade would be entitled to get rubber, and for which they would not be supplied, if this rubber were suitable.

Captain Thorneycroft

In order to give the right hon. Gentleman an opportunity of explaining more fully to the House what he has in mind, I propose to raise this matter on the Adjournment.

54. Mr. Summers

asked the Minister of Supply what steps he is taking to use the stocks of used tyres in the production of new ones; how. the quality of tyres now being produced compares with those produced before the war; and whether he is satisfied with the result of using natural and artificial rubber for different parts of the same tyre.

Sir A. Duncan

Of the total supply of tyres for civil purposes in 1944, about one-third consisted of used tyres which had been reconditioned. Reconditioned tyres are also used by the Services. In addition, reclaimed rubber from used tyres unfit for reconditioning is used in making new tyres. The present quality of tyres is necessarily somewhat below that before the war, but I am satisfied that the best use possible is being made of the various materials available.

Mr. Summers

Is the Minister aware that the re-treading of tyres, as carried out at present, produces thoroughly unsatisfactory results, and that a life of the order of only 1,000 miles is found in practice to be possible?

Sir A. Duncan

The hon. Gentleman cannot have it both ways. I have already explained that these tyres, as recovered, are sorted out, and all those that are fit for re-treading are re-treaded and, if they are not fit for re-treading, they go to the dumps. If you do not re-tread, you will send still more to the dumps.

Mr. Hewlett

Is the increase in the stocks of used tyres due to the result of the salvage drive; and, as a practical reclaimer, may I ask the Minister if he is aware that the statements he has made are perfectly correct?