§ Mr. Maurice Macmillanasked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will list the present estimated stocks of mercury, copper, cobalt, aluminium, magnesium and nickel held in the United Kingdom (a) by the Government and nationalised industries and (b) by industrial companies, for the most recent convenient date; and for what period at ordinary rates of consumption these stocks would last if all supplies were halted, and which industries would be most affected by the shortage of which minerals.
§ Mr. CryerOf the six metals listed, stocks information is published only for copper and this is partial. The World Bureau of Metal Statistics estimated that, at the end of March 1978, consumer stocks of refined copper amounted to 30,000 tonnes. 89,000 tonnes was held in London Metal Exchange Warehouses in the United Kingdom. The total stocks of 119,000 tonnes are equivalent to some two or three months of current consumption.
A complete cessation of supplies of these six metals would affect a very broad range of industries These most dependent on supplies of the metal concerned, in addition to the metal industry itself, are listed in the table below:
METAL AND INDUSTRY
Mercury:
- Chemicals.
Copper:
- Electrical Engineering particularly insulated wire and cables.
- Shipbuilding.
- Miscellaneous metal goods especially coinage and wire manufacture.
- Construction.
Cobalt:
- Machine Tools.
- Aerospace.
- Electronics and Electrical Industries.
Aluminium:
- Vehicles, particularly aerospace.
- Mechanical and Electrical Engineering.
- Miscellaneous metal goods, particularly furniture and door and window frames.
- Packaging.
Magnesium:
- Refractories and aluminium.
Nickel:
- Aerospace, process plant and coinage.