§ Mr. T. GRIFFITHSasked the President of the Board of Trade the number of blast furnaces in operation during the month of February of this year; and the total tonnage of imported pig iron for the years 1912, 1913, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, and 1928?
§ Mr. H. WILLIAMSThe number of blast furnaces in operation in the United Kingdom at the end of January last, as reported by the National Federation of Iron and Steel Manufacturers, was 139. The corresponding figure for the end of February is not yet available. The following statement shows the total tonnage of pig-iron imported into the United Kingdom during each of the years 1912, 1913 and 1919 to 1928:
Year. Tons. 1912 168,088 1913 184,774 1919 159,772 1920 214,309 1921 673,824 1922 153,566 1923 90,556 1924 287,221 1925 264,375 1926 477,778 1927 597,258 1928 (a) 93,733 (a) The figures for 1928 are provisional. NOTE.—From 1st April, 1923, the above figures exclude direct foreign imports into the Irish Free Stat