§ Mr. Craigenasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many males and females over 65 and 60 years, respectively, there are per 1,000 of the population in each of the health board areas in Scotland; and how many geriatric beds there are in hospitals and other institutions per 1,000 of the population in these areas.
§ Mr. Harry EwingThe information is set out in the table below. The ratio of geriatric beds per 1,000 population aged 65 and over has also been shown because this is the usual basis on which geriatric bed provision is planned.
former have to be sold to make the feedstock competitive.
§ Mr. CryerI have been asked to reply.
This is one of the questions which I expect the Petrochemicals Sector Working Party will be examining.
§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will give his estimate of the annual United Kingdom ethylene capacity, the capacity of new plant under construction or planned, and of the projected growth of ethylene consumption.
§ Mr. CryerI have been asked to reply.
Present United Kingdom ethylene capacity is 1.6 million tonnes per annum. The ICI-BP cracker under construction on Teesside will increase capacity by a 375W further 500,000 tonnes per annum. Growth in consumption can be expected to reflect the expansion in the United Kingdom economy and in world trade.
§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will assess the current ethylene production (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) in Western Europe, and the demand in the two sectors.
§ Mr. CryerI have been asked to reply.
In 1977, United Kingdom ethylene production was 1.16 million tonnes. 1977 Western European ethylene production figures are not available, but figures collected by the European Council of Chemical Manufacturers Federations (CEFIC) show that consumption was 10.37 million tonnes, with a forecast for 1981 of 12.6 million tonnes. Forecasts of United Kingdom ethylene production and consumption are not available.
§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Energy what, he assesses, is the state of the ethylene market in Western Europe and the future trend.
§ Mr. CryerI have been asked to reply.
I understand that there is current overcapacity in the ethylene market throughout Western Europe. The future depends on how far and how fast there is a resumption of general economic growth.
§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will indicate the percentage of total ethylene production in the United Kingdom from (a) naphtha, (b) gas oil, and (c) other feedstock; and what proportions he envisages for 1985.
§ Mr. CryerI have been asked to reply.
My Department does not collect statistics on feedstocks used for the manufacture of ethylene. I understand however, that at present all existing crackers in the United Kingdom use naphtha feedstock but that in the future companies are likely to incorporate some flexibility to use other feedstocks.
§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Energy whether Government policy recommending four ethylene crackers by 1985 has now been abandoned; and if he will indicate what his revised figure is for the mid-1980s.
§ Mr. CryerI have been asked to reply.
376WThe Government remain fully committed to their previously announced petrochemical strategy and to its objective of bringing about the construction of new ethylene crackers in the United Kingdom on a commercially viable basis. The timing of their construction, as I have always recognised, is largely dependent on a judgment of the market by the industry.