§ 44. Mr. Porterasked the Minister of Supply whether, in view of the amount of redundant tram track available as scrap, he has yet come to any conclusion as to the possibility of reimbursing local authorities in regard to the difference in the value of scrap steel made available and the cost of reconditioning the highways concerned.
§ Mr. SandysThe iron and steel industry is giving financial assistance to local authorities in order to encourage the recovery of tram rails for scrap. The amount of financial assistance varies according to local circumstances.
§ Mr. PorterIs the Minister aware that there is a certain amount of responsibility to be taken by him to force local authorities to lift these lines, as they are first-rate steel and would make a most valuable contribution to other production?
§ Mr. SandysI do not think that "force" is quite the right word. I should not like to force the local authorities. The Ministry of Supply has no funds with which to subsidise the collection of scrap. It is done by the industry itself, which has already obtained tram rails from 11 different towns, and is hoping to collect something like 50,000 tons of steel scrap from these sources.