§ Mr. Blakerasked the Minister of Technology if he is satisfied that sufficient ferro-silicon and similar ferro alloys made by electric smelting techniques are now being imported to meet current requirements in the iron and steel industry; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Alan WilliamsThere is a world shortage of ferro-silicon, and a similar but less acute shortage of silico-manganese. The shortages have arisen mainly because of reduced electric power production in Norway, and to a lessor extent in Yugoslavia, following an unusually dry summer. Additional furnace capacity is being installed in Norway, and demand and supply are expected to be in balance by about April. There is also a current 13W shortage of ferro-chrome and certain grades of refined ferro-manganese; this is likely to persist while world steel output remains exceptionally high. These shortages are inevitably creating problems for the British steel industry, but the industry are hopeful that their production will not be seriously interrupted.
FERRO-SILICON STOCKS AND AVERAGE CONSUMPTION IN STEEL PRODUCTION IN 1969 Grades Stocks at 29th March Stocks at 28th June Stocks at 27th September Average Consumption per quarter (3 quarters) Tons Tons Tons Tons Between 10 per cent. and 16 per cent. 179 123 144 399 Between 20 per cent. and 30 per cent. — — — — Between 40 per cent. and 55 per cent. 496 592 817 2,254 Between 70 per cent. and 85 per cent. 3,245 3,412 3,083 11,120 Over 85 per cent. 493 272 375 1,485 Briquettes 38 51 54 576 Information for the fourth quarter of 1969 is not yet available. Details of stocks and consumption in foundries are not available.