§ LORD BARNBYasked His Majesty's Government, whether they are able to give the price of: 1176WA
- (a) Steel sheets in the United Kingdom and the United States of America, pre-war and present.
- (b) Steel sheets in the United Kingdom based on known costs of a representative group of most efficient United Kingdom producers without allowance of loading for various supplementary charges arising from war-time arrangements under direction of His Majesty's Government.
§ THE MINISTER OF WORKS (LORD PORTAL)The comparative pre-war and present prices of steel sheets in the United Kingdom and the United States of America are, for the British basis gauge, as follows:
British Cold Rolled Close Annealed Sheets. Per ton. Year. £ s. d. 1939 14 15 0 1944 22 15 0 American Hot Rolled Sheets. Per ton. Year. £ s. d. 1939 15 2 0 1944 18 3 0 American Cold Rolled Sheets. Per ton. Year. £ s. d. 1939 19 2 0 1944 22 18 0 (The American prices have been converted to sterling at the rates of exchange ruling at the time.)
The relationship would vary for other thicknesses. Owing to differences in pricing and in the methods of manufacturing steel, exact comparison is impossible. For most purposes the British standard sheet is comparable with American hot rolled quality but for some purposes is more comparable with the cold rolled quality.
The information asked for in the second part of the question could not be obtained without elaborate inquiry. It may be mentioned, however, that normally low cost producers as well as normally high cost producers share in the benefits of the special war-time arrangements.
House adjourned at twenty-five minutes before five o'clock.