§ 4 and 6. Mr. J. Lewisasked the President of the Board of Trade how many employees in the tyre-manufacturing industry have become redundant; and how many are likely to be unemployed in the next few months as a result of the shortage of carbon black;
(2) if he will make a statement on the crisis which has recently arisen in the tyre-manufacturing industry due to the shortage of carbon black, including particulars as to the loss in tyre production as a result of this shortage and the loss which it is calculated will be suffered over the next three months.
§ Sir S. CrippsI am not aware of any redundancy of labour in the tyre industry but a certain amount of short time is being worked at present owing to a shortage of some types of carbon black and other secondary materials. Supplies of channel black which are obtainable only from the United States have been barely sufficient to cover the great increase in tyre production during 1946, and the shortage has been accentuated recently by a strike affecting carbon black production in the United States. The strike is over but its effects are likely to be felt for some weeks. In the meantime, it is hoped that sufficient supplies will be available to keep tyre manufacturers operating at well above average 1946 levels. The shortage of secondary materials is holding back expansion rather than reducing recent levels of output, and it is not possible to estimate what greater production would be possible if more carbon black were available.
§ 5. Mr. J. Lewisasked the President of the Board of Trade the number of cubic feet of natural gas which is available daily for export from the Middle East to this country and which, by the utilisation of suitable burning plant, could be converted into carbon black for use in the tyre-manufacturing industry.
§ Sir S. CrippsI am not aware that any facilities exist for the export of natural gas from the Middle East for the production of carbon black or any other purpose.