§ Mr. Kingasked the Minister of Supply and of Aircraft Production to what extent surplus quantities of brass, copper and other metal equipment have been sold as scrap; to what extent it is being used in Government factories; and what is the general policy of the Government in this respect.
§ Mr. LeonardConsiderable tonnages of non-ferrous metals in various forms are becoming available for disposal, principally from the termination of war contracts and from the breaking down of munitions. In those cases where this 2081W material is saleable in manufactured or semi-manufactured form it is disposed of in those forms; in other cases it is re-melted in Government depots or disposed of as scrap. During the first nine months of this year some 51, 000 tons of non-ferrous metals have been sold as scrap. Government factories normally draw their supplies of semi-manufactured material and scrap from the stocks available to the Government. Government policy in relation to disposals is outlined in the White Paper on Government Surplus Stores (Cmd. 6539) of 1944.