HC Deb 25 June 1973 vol 858 cc242-3W
24. Sir B. Rhys Williams

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take powers to require non-executive directors of public companies to make separate annual reports to the shareholders and to the employees, expressing their view as to the efficiency of the management and the propriety of their conduct.

Sir G. Howe

I hope to encourage constructive public discussion on the whole question of company structure before making any firm proposals in this field.

A. Mill prices per tonne for waste paper and board*
Fibre-board containers Clean baled newspapers
£ £
1962 9.35 8.12
June 1964 9.35–9.60† 8.36–8.61†
November 1964 10.09–10.34 8.86–9.11
1967 9.84–10.09 8.86–9.11
1968 10.82–11.07 9.84–10.09
April 1969 11.32–11.57 10.82–11.07
December 1969 11.80–12.05 12.30–12.55
1971 12.00–12.25 12.50–12.75
1972 12.75–13.50‡ 12.75–13.50‡
April 1973 14.75–15.50‡ 13.75–14.50‡

Source: The British Paper and Board Makers' Association.

* From 1st April 1971, London boroughs obtained a premium from G.L.C. of £1.25 per tonne and in addition Thames Board Mills paid 50p per tonne.

† Large bales.

‡ According to weight and geography

B. Imported wood pulp and waste paper.
Tonnage ('000) Wood pulp Value £million Average value per tonne Waste paper and board* Average value per tonne
1963 2,353 96.2 41 18
1964 2,667 114.7 43 17
1965 2,620 115.4 44 19
1966 2,643 113.4 43 17
1967 2,422 104.7 43 23
1968 2,618 126.9 48 17
1969 2,597 135.5 52 17
1970 2,734 167.0 61 18
1971 2,032 133.0 65 25
1972 2,190 140.4 64 22

Source: Overseas trade accounts.

* Including scrap paper and board products for use in paper and board making.

C. In a report of the Local Authorities' Management Services and Computer Committee published in September 1971 it was stated that the total tonnage of waste paper collected by local authorities had remained reasonably stable at about 400,000 over the previous decade. The number of authorities collecting had fallen from over 1,000 in 1961 to 451 in 1970, although this reduction was partly due to the reduction in the number of local authorities arising from successive re-organisations of local authorities.

Mr. Parker

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he is satisfied that, in relation to the price movements and the tonnages of waste paper salvaged, the price incentive to collect waste paper is adequate to enable local authorities