§ 5 Mr. P. Williamsasked the Minister of Supply (1) what percentage of heavy machinery scrap is being delivered to ironfoundries in the North-East, compared with pre-war years;
(2) if he is aware that the scrap being delivered to ironfoundries in the North-East is often of inferior quality; and what measures he intends to take to alter this state of affairs;
(3) whether he is aware of the shortage of scrap suitable for ironfoundries in the North-East; and if he will take steps to rectify this.
§ Mr. SandysThere are no statistics showing heavy machinery scrap separately. There is a general shortage of the types of scrap most suitable for ironfoundries, but I have no evidence that foundries in the North-East have received less favourable treatment than others.
§ Mr. WilliamsIs my right hon. Friend aware that a quantity of this scrap is becoming available from Her Majesty's dockyards, and will he consult his right hon. Friend to see whether it can be made available to the ironfoundries in the North-East?
§ Mr. SandysMy information is that the proportion of heavy scrap delivered to foundries in the North-East is higher than the average for the country as a whole.
§ Mr. Malcolm MacPhersonWill the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that in the Falkirk and Bonnybridge area the iron casting industry is in a state of slump and there is some evidence that the present supply of scrap and the system governing it are such as to prevent it from helping itself? Will he look at the quota and licence system and consider whether a revision of the system would enable some of the Falkirk and Bonnybridge foundries to change from the goods which they have been manufacturing to other types of goods which require more scrap?
§ Mr. SandysI shall be glad to consider any suggestions that the hon. Gentleman has to make.