47. Mr. Edward Taylorasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the investment proposals which he has received from the British Steel Corporation.
§ Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the future of the Scottish steel industry.
§ Mr. Tom BoardmanThe British Steel Corporation has submitted its development proposals. These are being studied, and a statement will be made to the House as soon as possible.
§ Mr. Sillarsasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will state the present-day production and capacity of the steel industry in Scotland; and 43W express the former as a percentage of the latter.
§ Mr. EmeryCrude steel production in Scotland for the nine months ending 30th September, 1972, was at an annual rate of some 2.7 million tonnes. Current nominal crude steel capacity in Scotland is approximately 3.5 million tonnes. I would warn the hon. Member that because of fluctuations in production it is misleading to express production as a percentage of capacity and I am asking the chairman of the corporation to write to the hon. Member on this point.
§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he intends to publish the Hirshfield Report commissioned as a result of complaints by the British Independent Steel Producers' Association about the pricing policy of the British Steel Corporation; and whether he intends to adopt its recommendations.
§ Mr. EmeryAt this moment there is nothing I can add to the reply my hon. Friend the Minister for Industry gave to the hon. Member for Chesterfield (Mr. Varley) on 26th October.—[Vol. 823, c.435.]