§ Mr. SHORTasked the President of the Board of Trade the price per ton of industrial coal and steel, respectively, at the present time and prior to the payment of the coal subsidy?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERThe figures are as follow:
a ton of steel when hematite ore is used in its manufacture?
§ Colonel LANE-FOXI regret that it is impossible to give a definite figure. The manufacture of a ton of steel from hema- 2069W tite ore needs 3 to 4 tons of coal, 2 tons of ore, and 8 to 9 cwts. of limestone. I do not know the royalty on limestone; the average royalty on coal is about 6d. a ton, and the normal average royalty on hematite ore is about 2s. 6d. a ton. But I am informed that many hematite royalty owners are now accepting substantially less, and the hon. Member will remember that imported ore is used in more than half of the hematite pig iron made in this country and that scrap iron would be added to the pig in making steel.
§ Mr. SHORTasked the President of the Board of Trade the number of workpeople employed in the production of a ton of steel billets and bars, including the winning of the mineral ores. coal, etc.?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERIt is not possible to give an estimate of the precise nature asked for by the hon. Member; but I may say that it is estimated that the production of 1,000,000 tons of steel billets, on the basis of the best existing practice in this country, gives employment to about 33,000 men in collieries, iron mines and limestone quarries and in iron and steel works; and, in addition, there is a large number engaged in the transport of approximately 6,000,000 tons of materials and in certain subsidiary occupations.