§ 24. Mr. Jayasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer Whether he will give an assurance that iron and steel prior stocks now held by the Iron and Steel Holding and Realisation Agency will not be sold at a discount below the issue price, or disposed of while gilt-edged prices are at the present low levels.
§ Mr. BarberNo, Sir.
§ Mr. JayIs not the Government's persistence in attempting to sell these steel prior stocks at present not only totally 610 unnecessary, but forcing down gilt-edged prices to record low levels, and causing losses of tens of thousands of pounds to a very large number of small investors?
§ Mr. BarberI think that the right hon. Gentleman will agree, for reasons that are readily apparent, that I really cannot enter into any discussion about particular aspects of possible future operations by the Agency.
§ Mr. JayBut cannot the Economic Secretary give an assurance, in the interests of both taxpayers and small investors, that the Government will not sell these stocks while gilt-edged prices are at their present extremely low level?
§ Mr. BarberI cannot make any comment on that.