§ Mr. Crawfordasked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will call an immediate halt to all steelworks closures, actual or planned, in Scotland; and if he will seek powers to establish a Scottish Steel Corporation controlled in, by, and for Scotland with powers to plan for its own expansion and competitiveness in the context of world steel trade.
§ Mr. MeacherPending the outcome of the review of the British Steel Corporation's closure programme which my right hon. and noble Friend the Minister of 279W State is conducting, the BSC agreed to suspend proposed plant closures in Scotland as elsewhere. The Minister of State's consultations have already included visits to nine works in Scotland and meetings with the Scottish TUC and with local representatives of the work forces. He will shortly hold a tripartite meeting between the Government, BSC and the TUC Steel Committee and he will also consult the appropriate Members of Parliament and other interested parties.
The Government see no economic advantage to Scotland in having a separate steel corporation for that country but we are concerned to ensure that distance from London headquarters does not operate to the detriment of the BSC in Scotland.
INDEX OF PRODUCTION FOR MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY 1970=100 United Kingdom France German Federal Republic Italy Austria Belgium 1955 … … 65 41 38 32 44 46 1956 … … 65 44 42 34 46 50 1957 … … 66 48 45 37 49 51 1958 … … 65 50 46 38 49 49 1959 … … 69 50 50 42 53 53 1960 … … 76 55 56 50 58 58 1961 … … 76 58 60 55 61 61 1962 … … 76 61 62 61 62 65 1963 … … 79 65 64 66 65 70 1964 … … 86 70 70 67 70 75 1965 … … 88 71 74 70 73 77 1966 … … 90 77 75 78 76 80 1967 … … 90 79 74 85 77 82 1968 … … 95 83 83 90 82 87 1969 … … 99 94 94 94 92 96 1970 … … 100 100 100 100 100 100 1971 … … 100 105 102 100 107 102 1972 … … 102 117 105 104 117 109 1973 … … 110 122 114 113 122 116
1970=100 Netherlands Luxembourg Switzerland Norway Sweden Ireland 1955 … … 39 63 N.A. 50 N.A. 46 1956 … … 41 68 N.A. 52 N.A. 45 1957 … … 43 69 N.A. 53 N.A. 45 1958 … … 43 67 51 53 N.A. 46 1959 … … 47 71 56 56 50 50 1960 … … 52 78 61 60 55 54 1961 … … 54 79 65 64 59 59 1962 … … 57 76 68 66 63 63 1963 … … 60 76 70 70 66 66 1964 … … 67 85 73 76 72 71 1965 … … 70 85 76 80 78 74 1966 … … 73 82 78 85 81 76 1967 … … 76 82 81 87 83 82 1968 … … 84 88 85 90 87 91 1969 … … 93 99 93 96 94 97 1970 … … 100 100 100 100 100 100 1971 … … 104 99 103 103 101 104 1972 … … 110 104 105 106 103 109 1973 … … 117 117 110 111 110 121 Source: OECD Industrial Production—Historical Series 1955–1971.