§ Mr. Gryllsasked the Secretary of State for Industry, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Surrey, North-West on 18th November concerning the recommendations from the sector working party on the rubber industry, whether detailed project planning has yet been undertaken to determine raw material requirements, market opportunities and capital availability.
Mr. Alan WilliamsDiscussions about a possible United Kingdom polyisoprene project have continued in the Synthetic Rubber Working Party of the Petrochemicals Sector Working Party. These have drawn on evaluations of such a project that have been prepared by industry, information from the Department of Energy on feedstock availability and the views of rubber consumers, co-ordinated by my Department, on the possible market for polyisoprene. A gas-gathering pipeline system would be an important influence on feedstock availability. The working party will continue studying this and the other factors affecting the project's commercial viability.