§ Dr. Glynaskedthe Secretary of State for Industry if he will give a list of uses for which there is no alternative to natural sperm oil.
Mr. Alan WilliamsThere are uses in the leather and engineering industries for which no adequate alternative exists to natural sperm oil. My Department has commissioned a fuller study from the British Leather Manufacturers Research Association into the use in the leather industry and the evaluation of possible alternatives. I expect that this study will be received and published in July.
§ Dr. Glynasked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will give an estimate of the number of jobs which are currently dependent on the use of natural sperm oil.
Mr. Alan WilliamsAbout 85 jobs at Paisley and Liverpool are directly connected with the production of sperm oil. It is not at this stage possible to state the larger numbers in the leather and engineering industries whose jobs directly depend on the continued use of sperm oil, but I am having further enquiries made into this.