Steel Industry (Hansard, 13 November 1972)

§ 3. Mr. Duffy
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he is now able to make a statement on the final report of the Joint Steering Group on the Steel Industry.

§ The Minister for Industry (Mr. Tom Boardman)
I announced the conclusions 5 of the Joint Steering Group on 8th May. The group was wound up on completion of its report.—[Vol. 836, c. 909–23.]

§ Mr. Duffy
What about the future development of the industry? What about the questions being freely raised in the Press where it is being said that development will taken place at Hunterston or be concentrated at Redcar or lead to a further apportionment to the Grantham or Scunthorpe area? Those are the questions which have still to be answered before they are no longer within the prerogative of the hon. Gentleman's Department to answer, and 1st January is only just round the corner.

§ Mr. Boardman
I am well aware of the general concern about an announcement of the British Steel Corporation's plans. The final plans were submitted to the Government at the beginning of last month and they are now urgently being considered in the context that I have already described to the House. An announcement will be made as soon as possible.

§ Mr. Rost
Has not my hon. Friend given an assurance that there will be no cutback in the steel investment plans? Is it not more important to get decisions right, even if that means delay?

§ Mr. Boardman
My hon. Friend is right. It is essential that, when they are finally approved by the Government, the plans are right and that as much consideration as possible has been given to them. Investment by the corporation is now going forward at record levels. It stands at £265 million for the current year, while £200 million has been approved on account for next year.

§ Mr. Varley
Is not the hon. Gentleman aware that the delay in announcing the corporation's strategic plan is causing great uncertainty and foreboding, increased by today's report that a further 50,000 redundancies are in the pipeline? Will he give an assurance that when the strategic plan is announced, at least the Government will have adopted the corporation's target of 36 million tons production by 1980? May we have an assurance that the Government will go for that?

§ Mr. Boardman
I know that the hon. Gentleman will not expect me to com- 6 ment on speculative and completely unauthorised reports of employment levels and so on. The level of investment and the tonnage will be part of the announcement to be made to the House.