§ Mr. Spriggsasked the Secretary of State for Industry what steps he is taking to encourage the motor industry to trade with British glass manufacturers rather than foreign ones in view of the redundancies caused in the flat glass industry in such places as St. Helens and the present economic situation of the flat glass sector of the glass industry.
§ Mr. MeacherI understand that the United Kingdom motor vehicle assembly industry takes about 75 per cent. of its safety glass supplies from domestic sources. Dual sourcing, including some foreign supplies, is however standard practice throughout the industry in respect of all types of component, in order to safeguard vehicle production wherever possible in the event of an interruption of supplies. But safety glass does anyway form only about a quarter of Pilkington's total production. Flat glass, which forms more than half of Pilkington's total production, has as its principal user the construction industry where reduced demand is currently the main problem. I hope nevertheless that all sectors of domestic industry will make maximum use of British sources for their requirements of296W all kinds, and we are pursuing this question with United Kingdom car manufacturers.