§ 8. Mr. Warbeyasked the Minister of Works in what currency payments are made by the Atomic Energy Authority for uranium procured through the medium of the Combined Development Agency.
§ Mr. BirchIn general, payment for uranium procured for use in this country is made in the currency of the country from which it is purchased.
§ Mr. WarbeyDoes that apply to supplies obtained from Australia through the medium of the Combined Development Agency?
§ Mr. BirchI do not want to add to my Answer. The payment arrangements are very complicated, but I think I have given the hon. Member the information he asked for.
§ Mr. WarbeyThe right hon. Gentleman has not answered the Question which I asked him. What I want to know, and what I think the House would like to know, is whether or not we are involved in paying dollars for supplies from a Commonwealth country such as Australia.
§ Mr. BirchI can assure the hon. Member that at present the major part of the United Kingdom uranium supplies is obtained from sterling area countries.
§ 9. Mr. Warbeyasked the Minister of Works whether, in view of the large prospective output of uranium ore in Canada, he will instruct the Atomic Energy Authority to contract for direct supplies from that country.
§ Mr. BirchThe Atomic Energy Authority is fully alive to the need to secure adequate supplies, and its purchasing arrangements are always under review.
§ Mr. WarbeyIs the Minister aware that according to Press reports the current output in Canada is running at the rate of 1 million tons of uranium a year and may rise to 2 million or 3 million tons in the course of two or three years' time? As there now appear to be ample supplies in Canada, New Zealand and Australia, will the right hon. Gentleman see that we use the Commonwealth to get all available supplies of this precious metal?
§ Mr. BirchHer Majesty's Government are aware of the need to buy uranium and to buy it cheaply. I am also grateful to the hon. Member for his support, but I do not think that I can add to my Answer.