HC Deb 23 February 1926 vol 192 cc343-5W
Mr. LOUGHER

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has any Returns showing the number of blast furnaces which have been relit in the United Kingdom since August last; the percentage decline in the market prices

— Pig Iron. Steel Bars.
Hematite W. Coast Mixed Numbers. Cleveland No.3 Foundry G.M.B. Derby, Leicester and Notts. No. 4 Forge. Northamptonshire No. 3 Foundry. Scottish No.1 Foundry. Tinplate and Sheet Bars. Flat Bars, 5"–8"
1925. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d.
August 4 10 6 3 9 11 3 2 3 3 3 1 4 6 3 6 11 11 9 15 0
September 4 8 3 3 8 2 2 19 0 3 2 0 4 5 3 6 6 11 9 10 0
October 4 7 0 3 6 7 2 18 1 3 1 7 4 4 4 6 5 0 9 9 0
November 4 8 2 3 6 0 2 18 6 3 2 6 4 3 5 6 5 0 9 1 3
December 4 8 10 3 7 0 2 18 5 3 2 6 4 2 2 6 5 0 8 18 0
1926.
January 4 10 2 3 9 5 3 0 7 3 3 5 4 1 6 6 4 5 8 10 0

Mr. J. DAVISON

asked the President of the Board of Trade the estimated tonnage of iron-ore deposits in the United Kingdom?

Colonel LANE FOX

On the basis of an investigation made by the Imperial

of coal and coke each month since August last; and the prices of pig-iron and steel bars during the same periods?

Mr. A. M. SAMUEL

According to statistics published by the National Federation of Iron and Steel Manufacturers, the number of blast furnaces in blast at the end of August, 1925, was 136. The number re-lit between the end of August and the end of January, 1926, was 31, and the number damped down or blown out in the same period was 23. The number in blast at the end of January, 1926, was 144.

Index numbers of the market prices of 10 descriptions of coal and coke included in the Board of Trade Index Number of Wholesale Prices were as follow:

AVERAGE of PRICES in 1913 = 100.
— Index number for coal and coke. Increase (+) or decrease (-) compared with previous month.
1925.
August … 141.9 -2.5
September … 139.1 -2.0
October … 138.2 -0.6
November … 138.0 -0.1
December … 140.7 +2.0
1926
January … 142.0 +0.9

The following statement shows the average monthly prices per ton of certain descriptions of pig iron and steel bars:

Mineral Resources Bureau in 1922, the results of which were published in a special Memoir, the reserves of iron ore proved or known to exist may be estimated to be about 34,800,000 tons of hematite, 1,125,000,000 tons of Jurassic ironstones, and 1,043,000,000 tons of coal-measure ironstones.

Mr. DAVISON

also asked the President of the Board of Trade the total tonnage production of iron and steel in the United Kingdom for the years 1913, 1924, and 1925, respectively?

Mr. SAMUEL:

The figures are as follow:

Year. Production of Pig Iron. Production of Steel Ingots and Castings.
Tons. Tons.
1913 … … 10,260,300 7,663,900
1924 … … 7,318,900 8,221,100
1925 … … 6,236,200 7,396,300