HL Deb 04 May 1984 vol 451 cc725-6

11.26 a.m.

Lord Bruce of Donington

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

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they accept the recommendations of the Commons Trade and Industry Committee Report on the British Steel Corporation's Prospects (H.C. 344).

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Lord Cockfield)

My Lords, the Government will consider the report of the committee in the context of decisions on the British Steel Corporation's new corporate plan which is due to be submitted to us shortly. The Government will in due course be giving the Select Committee a formal reply.

Lord Bruce of Donington

My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that the recommendations of the committee upon which sit a majority of his own party came out with four specific recommendations in quite unequivocal terms? Is the noble Lord aware that the committee drew attention to the fact that there still continues to exist in Europe a subsidisation of energy prices? Is he aware that the recommendations made were that the British Government should take a far more robust attitude towards the EC plan in relation to steel, in that this country appears to be the only country so far to have conformed in its entirety to the plan? Will the noble Lord give the House an assurance that a robust attitude will be taken and that, until other states conform to their obligations under the treaty, there will be no further reductions in steel capacity in this country whatever the contents of the corporate plan may be? Will the noble Lord furthermore bear in mind that the existing Government are unlikely to remain eternally in office and that there will come a time when the present Government are out and the demand for steel in this country will consequently increase?

Lord Cockfield

My Lords, the conventions in this matter are long established and well understood. The convention is that, when we are dealing with the report of a Select Committee, the Government give their response to that Select Committee and not by way of question and answer. It is particularly important that the convention should be respected when we are dealing with the report of a Select Committee of another place.