§ 92. Mr. T. Brownasked the President of the Board of Trade the amount of sulphuric acid exported from this country during 1948, 1949 and 1950; and to what countries it was exported.
§ Mr. BottomleyUnited Kingdom exports of sulphuric acid during the past three years were as follow: 1948, 4,446 tons; 1949, 4,321 tons; 1950, 4,659 tons. I will send my hon. Friend a statement showing the countries to which this acid was exported, but the Federation of Malaya and the Irish Republic were the countries taking the largest quantities.
§ 93. Mr. T. Brownasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that the reduction of 15 per cent. in the supplies of sulphuric acid to the rayon factories will have a serious effect on production; and what steps he is taking to overcome the short supply.
§ Mr. RhodesI am aware that the reduction in our supplies of sulphur from the United States, both for industrial use and for the manufacture of sulphuric acid, is having serious effects on production, not only in the rayon but in other 99W important industries, and the strongest representations are being made to the Americans to increase their allocations of sulphur to us. In order to reduce our dependence on sulphur, plans are being made, in consultation with industry, to convert existing plants and to build new plants to burn other sulphur-bearing materials, but this will take time. A number of other projects to substitute sulphur by other materials and to effect the maximum recovery of this material from other sources are being pursued.