§ Mr. Footasked the President of the Board of Trade what are the prices in relation to the products specified on page 117 of the report of the Import Duties Advisory Committee on Iron and Steel now being charged for these products with which the Import Duties Advisory Committee concurs?
Mr. StanleyI am sending the hon. Member a copy of a statement issued by the British Iron and Steel Federation showing the approved basis prices of the principal products on the 30th September last.
§ Mr. Footasked the President of the Board of Trade at what date did the Council of the British Iron and Steel Federation establish a central stabilisation fund; on what basis, and by whom, are contributions paid to the fund; how much has been contributed to the fund; and how much has been expended out of the fund and upon what objects?
Mr. StanleyI am informed that the fund to which the hon. Member refers has not yet been established.
§ Mr. Footasked the President of the Board of Trade whether it is the policy of the Government that, so far as possible, all steel-producing plants, including high-cost plants, should be kept in operation; and what grants have been paid to high-cost plants in order to enable such plants to maintain production without necessitating an unreasonable rise in the general price-level of steel?
Mr. StanleyI am not prepared to say that all steel-producing plants should necessarily be kept in operation irrespective of their efficiency, but it is clearly desirable in the present state of demand that steel production should be maintained at as high a level as possible. With regard to the second part of the question, I am informed that in one case 731W special action has been taken by the British Iron and Steel Federation to assist an individual producer to restart old blast furnaces, but I am not in a position to give particulars.