§ 79. Mr. J. H. Osbornasked the President of the Board of Trade what will be the total annual import saving, at current prices for bauxite and aluminium, of implementing the Government proposals 115W for the construction of two smelters of total capacity of 240,000 tons.
§ Mr. Darling:The import saving from manufacturing 240,000 tons of aluminium here from imported alumina, instead of importing the aluminium, would be in the region of £35 million. The level of aluminium imports still needed when production had reached this point would however depend on our consumption, which is increasing.
§ 80. Mr. Ramsdenasked the President of the Board of Trade, what consideration he has given to a protective tariff against imported aluminium as a means of establishing an aluminium smelting industry without Government subsidies.
§ Mr. Darling:We have treaty commitments to admit unwrought aluminium duty free.