§ 66. Mr. J. Lewisasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that U.S. producers of carbon black are amending their processes for the production of furnace black for the United Kingdom, in view of the insistence by His Majesty's Customs of an all-gas certificate in order that carbon black imported may qualify for the lower rate of duty which has resulted in their discontinuing the addition of liquid hydrocarbons which increase the yield of black per unit of gas; and if he will eliminate the distinction in import duties which now exists between all-gas and mixed types.
§ Mr. BelcherI understand that one U.S. producer has taken this course, but I doubt whether the difference of duty has any appreciable effect on supplies to this country.
§ 68. Captain Fieldasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that carbon black has been in short supply in the U.S.A. and that it was not possible for them to meet the full increased demand for this material; and if he will make a statement on the future prospects of obtaining supplies for the tyre manufacturing industry in this country.
§ Mr. BelcherYes. Arrangements have now been made, however, for supplies to come forward at such a rate as should meet our full requirements and allow some building of stocks.
§ 73. Captain Fieldasked the President of the Board of Trade why it is that 165,000,000 cubic feet of natural gas available every day at the oilfields owned by the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company in the Middle East, sufficient to produce four-fifths of our national requirements of channel black, has not been utilised for this purpose.
§ Mr. BelcherThe Company has no plant for producing carbon black in the Middle East.
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§ 75. Mr. Langasked the President of the Board of Trade what representations have been made by his Department direct, or by his Raw Materials Mission in Washington, to the appropriate U.S. Government Departments regarding the shortage of channel black for the tyre manufacturing industry in this country, specifying the dates upon which these representations were made and the replies thereto.
§ Mr. BelcherNo formal representations have been made to the United States Government regarding supplies of channel black.
§ Mr. J. Lewisasked the President of the Board of Trade what stocks of channel black suitable for tyre manufacture, as distinct from all grades of carbon black, were held in this country on 1st July, 1947; and how long it is estimated these stocks will last if the industry operates at full time.
§ Mr. BelcherThe stocks at the 27th June were 1,200 tons, equivalent to two and a half weeks' requirements at the maximum postwar consumption rate.
§ Mr. J. Lewisasked the President of the Board of Trade what raw materials are available in this country for the production of channel black or any other grade of black acceptable by the tyre manufacturing industry for tyre production, specifying the quantities in which these materials are available and the quantity of carbon black which it is estimated could be produced therefrom.
§ Mr. BelcherI cannot answer this Question without disclosing information of a confidential nature regarding processes which are being considered for the production of carbon black in this country.