HL Deb 16 July 1969 vol 304 cc255-6
The Earl of LAUDERDALE

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what conclusions have been reached by the imports-switching section of the Economic Group in the Department of Economic Affairs upon the possible value of research into the extraction of chemicals from wood and sugar beet.]

Lord BESWICK

My Lords, as the noble Earl was informed by my noble friend Lord Hughes on April 16, the Government consider that the extraction of chemicals from wood is uneconomic at the present time. On the other hand, it is recognised that research into the extraction of chemicals from both sugar beet and sugar cane is valuable and worthwhile. The Government are satisfied, however, that the scale of research in this field is adequate. Possibly I might add, in view of the noble Earl's Question, that responsibility for detailed matters of this kind rests with the Departments concerned and not with the Department of Economic Affairs.

The Earl of LAUDERDALE

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord for that reply. May I ask whether he is aware that his noble friend Lord Hughes, as I understand it, undertook to refer my Question to the imports department of the Economic Group of the D.E.A.? Is he aware that the area of imports to which these matters relate is of the order of £140 million a year; and though particular items, such as glucose, sugar esters, and glues, are rather small, there are other items in this held, such as resin-based materials for plastics, that are worth about £65 million a year in imports? Would he get the D.E.A. import-switching section to look at this further?

Lord BESWICK

My Lords, the noble Earl has asked several supplementary questions. He has had correspondence with my noble friend, and I have myself seen him. I do not recognise the import-switching section of the D.E.A. myself, although my noble friend Lord Hughes says he may conceivably have used the phrase. What I would suggest to the noble Earl is that, if he is not satisfied, I will gladly arrange for him to discuss this matter with someone in the Department of Technology.

The Earl of LAUDERDALE

My Lords, I am obliged to the noble Lord.

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