HC Deb 23 January 1976 vol 903 cc619-20W
Mr. Skeet

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what attitude the Government are taking about the formation of a price stabilisation scheme for tungsten basic ores and concentrates; and whether he will place in the Library the working paper prepared by his Department on the issues involved.

Mr. Kaufman

The Government's attitude towards possible measures to stabilise prices of commodities was explained by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister in his speech at Kingston on 1st May 1975, and subsequently in the White Paper "World Economic Interdependence and Trade in Commodities" (Cmnd. 6061). The United Kingdom is participating in current discussions within UNCTAD about possible measures to stabilise the price of tungsten-containing materials. The document referred to in the Question was a working document submitted by the United Kingdom delegation to the Working Party of the UNCTAD Committee on Tungsten, to assist discussion of the practical issues involved. The document contained no policy statement or conclusions and was not intended for publication. It would not, therefore, be appropriate to place it in the Library.