HC Deb 16 February 1995 vol 254 cc793-4W
Mr. MacShane

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the level of investment in the United Kingdom steel industry.

Mr. Eggar

The figures for treaty of Paris products are as followsInvestment in the UK steel crude industry (SIC 221 Iron and steel industry treaty of Paris definition)

Net capital expenditure
(£ million)
1988 1989 1990 1991 1992
Land and Buildings 11.6 11.7 9.4 24.5 18.8
Plant and Machinery 327.7 413.2 383.7 252.2 182.1
Vehicles 2.4 3 1.8 -0.3 0.8
Total 341.7 427.9 394.9 276.5 201.8

Source:

Report on the census of production, PA221.

In addition, and perhaps more important, the industry has invested in its people and British Steel now spends some 5 per cent. of its employment costs on training. The United Kingdom has a world-class steel industry, but one which is far from complacent and is working with my Department to tackle a whole range of competitiveness issues.

Mr. MacShane

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what was the level of steel in(a) tonnes and (b) percentage terms imported into the United Kingdom from (i) the EU, (ii) east Europe, (iii) the Russian Federation, (iv) Turkey, (v) North America, (vi) Latin America and (vii) Asia in the last year for which figures are available.

Mr. Eggar

The information is in the table.

United Kingdom imports of steel 19931
Source '000 tonnes Percentage total
EU 152 4,305.60 87.6
Eastern Europe3 131.5 2.7
Former USSR4 89.6 1.8
Turkey n/a n/a
North America 46.9 1.0
Latin America 36.4 0.7
Asia 75.4 1.5
Others 231.5 4.7
World 4,916.90 100

Source:

Iron and Steel Statistics Bureau.

1 Products of the steel industry in the Standard Industrial classification (1980), groups 221, 222 and 223.

2 EU includes Austria, Finland and Sweden.

3Not including former USSR.

4 Figures for Russian Federation alone are not available. n/a: not available.

Mr. Whitney

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about his Department's plans for strengthening the enforcement of European Coal and Steel Community rules on the provision of subsidies to steel producers.

Mr. Eggar

I am determined to fight for a level playing field for the United Kingdom steel industry. The exceptional granting of state aid to steel producers in countries such as Italy, Spain and Germany must be rigorously monitored. The Commission has the central role of ensuring that state aid is used only for the agreed purpose of restructuring, but this is a considerable task. It is also important to watch developments which have not yet been considered in the European Council, such as those in Ireland and Germany. I am therefore setting up the steel subsidies monitoring committee to help gather information—including any evidence of illegal subsidies—and to pass this on to the Commission for action. The committee will include representatives of British Steel, the British Iron and Steel Producers Association, Department of Trade and Industry and other Government Departments.