HC Deb 26 January 1953 vol 510 cc701-3

Motion made, and Question proposed: That a Supplementary sum, not exceeding £5,750,010, be granted to Her Majesty, to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1953, for expenditure of the Ministry of Supply on assistance to industry, scrap metal recovery, trading services, and iron and steel war terminal services.

Mr. Sandys

I do not imagine that the Committee will wish to debate this Supplementary Estimate at any length. I am glad to assure my right hon. Friend the Member for Blackburn, West (Mr. Assheton)—and this applies to a number of other items in these Supplementary Estimates—that this involves no charge whatsoever upon the Exchequer, but consists purely of a book-keeping transaction between two Exchequer accounts. I shall be only too glad to answer any points which hon. Members may wish to raise.

Mr. Lee

I should like to ask the Minister a question relating to scrap metal recovery and so on. I should like to know whether any of this money has been expended in the development of substitutes for steel for the manufacture of products in which steel has normally been used. The Committee will, no doubt, agree that especially during periods of acute steel shortages industry adapted itself to the use of substitute forms of steel, and indeed in very many instances those substitutes will continue to be used. In other words, the nature of much of our industry is now changing. I should like to know whether there is envisaged in this Vote the expenditure of money in the development of and experiment with plastics and new types of minerals in place of steel.

Mr. Sandys

This Vote has nothing to do with development work of any kind. Subhead A is concerned with import duties on iron and steel, and Subhead B is a token sum of £10 for accounting purposes.

Mr. Lee

But under the Supplementary Estimate the purposes for which this money is being asked are "assistance to industry, scrap recovery, &c." I am asking whether the Ministry are doing anything to develop the use of substitutes for steel.

Mr. Sandys

I am sorry to interrupt, but if the hon. Gentleman will read page 10 he will see under Subhead A that this Supplementary Estimate, as distinct from the main Estimate, is entirely concerned with the refund of Import Duty which is payable to the Board of Customs.

Mr. Lee

I am grateful to the Minister for pointing that out. I do not know whether I am in order in asking whether there is contained in the Supplementary Estimate any provision for the development of the type of thing which I was outlining to be used in substitution for steel.

The Deputy-Chairman (Mr. Hopkin Morris)

The hon. Member would not be in order in asking that.

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved,

That a Supplementary sum, not exceeding £5,750,010, be granted to Her Majesty, to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1953, for expenditure of the Ministry of Supply on assistance to industry, scrap metal recovery, trading services, and iron and steel war terminal services.