HC Deb 18 November 1952 vol 507 cc142-6W
Mr. Ormsby-Gore

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish a statement showing the quantity and value of goods bought from overseas by his Department and other Government Departments during 1951 and the first half of 1952, as compared with 1950 and showing the value of such goods bought from within and from outside the sterling area.

Mr. P. Thorneycroft

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 23rd October, 1952; Vol. 505, c. 135] supplied the following information:

GOODS PURCHASED FROM OVERSEAS BY THE MINISTRY OF MATERIALS (a)
— 1950 1951 First half of 1952
Tons Value (f.o.b.) Tons Value (f.o.b.) Tons Value (f.o.b.)
Sterling Area Other Sources Total Sterling Area Other Sources Total Sterling Area Other Sources Total
'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 '000 £'000 £'000 £'000 '000 £'000 £'000 £'000
Aluminium … … … … 142.7 — 15,360 15,360 183.9 — 21,222 21,222 114.6 — 16,538 16,538
Copper, blister and electrolytic (b) … 302.0 36,090 10,544 46,634 338.5 59,182 12,572 71,754 176.5 31,233 7,674 38,907
Lead (c) … … … … 126.0 9,890 1,745 11,635 192.1 15,885 13,552 29,437 99.8 7,120 7,971 15,091
Zinc … … … … … 136.7 3,314 11,930 15,244 135.9 4,154 18,487 22,641 116.1 4,701 15,284 19,985
Chrome ore (d) … … … 86.0 388 172 560 7.2 57 — 57 — — — —
Other non-ferrous metals (e) … — — — — 5.0 1,441 3,204 4,645 4.0 1,974 2,838 4,812
Timber (f) … … … … 3,343.4 1,079 49,063 50,142 8,358.3 130 51,594 51,724 899.0 — 27,650 27,650
Raw materials for textiles … … 166.3 20,316 3,950 24,266 216.6 42,221 7,504 49,725 103.2 18,806 2,448 21,254
Hides and skins and tanning materials (g) … … … 4.3 890 — 890 — — — — — — — —
Papermaking materials (h) … … 392.2 — 7,976 7,976 — — — — — — — —
Materials for fertilisers and for the manufacture of sulphuric acid (i) 2,426.1 41 16,492 16,533 2,363.9 53 17,475 17,528 983.9 128 6,911 7,039
Miscellaneous … … … 2.7 287 — 287 — — — — — — — —
Totals … … … 7,128.4 72,295 117,232 189,527 11,801.4 123,123 145,610 268,733 2,497.1 63,962 87,314 151,276
(a) The figures for the years 1950 and 1951 include purchases by the Board of Trade and the Ministry of Supply of goods which, since July, 1951, have been the responsibility of Ministry of Materials.
(b) Excluding refined copper returned from toll refining overseas, of Ministry copper and copper alloy scrap.
(c) Lead reverted to private trade on 1st October, 1952.
(d) Chrome ore reverted to private trade on 21st November, 1950.
(e) These figures relate to purchases of magnesium and tungsten which were brought on to Government purchase from May and July, 1951, respectively.
(f) Softwood reverted to private trade partly in January, 1951, and wholly in January, 1952. Hardwood reverted to private trade in January, 1950. Plywood reverted partly to private trade in May, 1950. Pitwood reverted to private trade partly in January, 1951, and wholly in July, 1951.
(g) Hides and skins and tanning materials reverted to private trade in January, 1950
(h) Papermaking materials reverted to private trade in April, 1950.
(i) Fertiliser materials reverted to private trade in July, 1952.

GOODS PURCHASED FROM OVERSEAS BY THE MINISTRY OF SUPPLY
— 1950 1951 First half of 1952
Tons Value (f.o.b.) Tons Value (f.o.b.) Tons Value (f.o.b.)
Sterling Area Other Sources Total Sterling Area Other Sources Total Sterling Area Other Sources Total
'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 '000 £'000 £'000 £'000 '000 £'000 £'000 £'000
Miscellaneous military stores and equipment … … … … (a) 20 4,205 4,225 (a) 196 22,032 22,228 (a) 2,436 25,130 27,566
Machine tools and production equipment … … … … (a) — 514 514 (a) — 28,613 28,613 (a) — 20,786 20,786
Finished steel … … … 319.1 — 11,262 11,262 (b) 119 — (b)4,947 (b)4,947 — — — —
Totals … … … (a) 20 15,981 16,001 (a) 196 55,592 55,788 (a) 2,436 45,916 48,352
(a) Not available. (b) Purchases of finished steel by the Ministry of Supply ceased as from 12th August 1951.
GOODS PURCHASED FROM OVERSEAS BY THE MINISTRY OF FOOD (a)
— 1950 1951 First half of 1952
Tons Value (f.o.b.) Tons Value (f.o.b.) Tons Value (f.o.b.)
Sterling Area Other Sources Total Sterling Area Other Sources Total Sterling Area Other Sources Total
'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 '000 £'000 £'000 £'000 '000 £'000 £'000 £'000
Fish, fruit and vegetables (b) … 616 15,145 17,785 32,930 316 11,749 10,249 21,998 191 9,775 5,392 15,167
Meat and bacon (c) … … … 1,142 58,026 85,337 143,363 779 42,767 (d)85,607 128,374 415 21,945 47,460 69,405
Tea, coffee and cocoa (e) … … 329 82,833 6,995 89,828 124 37,026 2,997 40,023 24 5,271 2,976 8,247
Cereals, pulses, starch and animal feeding stuffs … … … 6,272 16,014 133,760 149,774 8,833 30,682 207,130 237,812 4,563 17,513 117,260 134,773
Sugar and glucose … … … 2,090 24,749 48,701 73,450 2,249 29,385 61,002 90,387 1,097 17,671 26,283 43,954
Milk products, eggs and oils and fats 2,567 152,883 99,930 252,813 2,484 152,759 148,603 301,362 1,137 90,318 38,844 129,162
Totals … … … 13,016 349,650 392,508 742,158 14,785 304,368 515,588 819,956 7,427 162,493 238,215 400,708
(a) Excluding purchases shipped direct for overseas consumption.
(b) Including potatoes (1950 and 1951 only); frozen fish (1950 only); and canned fish, canned fruit, dried fruit, edible nuts and fruit juices (all years).
(c) Including poultry and rabbits (1950 only); and canned meat (all years).
(d) Including £7¾ million payments to Argentine and Uruguay in final adjustment of provisional prices paid for meat shipped in previous years.
(e) There were no purchases by the Ministry of Food of tea and cocoa in 1952.