§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Industry what is the annual consumption in the United Kingdom of manganese, vanadium and niobium and what are the countries from which the metals are derived.
§ Mr. MacGregorData on the total United Kingdom consumption of these metals are not available but it is estimated that 90 per cent. of the consumption is accounted for by the iron and steel industry. In 1981, the latest year for which data are available, that industry used 165,000 tonnes of manganese, 890 tonnes of vanadium and 490 tonnes of niobium.
Manganese comes from South Africa, Brazil and Norway; vanadium from Finland, the Federal Republic of Germany and Austria; niobium from Brazil and Belgium.
§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Industry if Her Majesty's Government have any plans to follow the example of Japan and stockpile strategic metals on a five-year basis.
§ Mr. MacGregorWe have decided to establish a small stockpile of strategic minerals. Most of the purchases planned for this year have been made or arrangements for them are at an advanced stage. Details of the stockpile are confidential but a supplementary estimate will be submitted to the House shortly.