§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Industry what is his estimate of the cost of subsidising each job per year in the steel industry that is not at present needed.
§ Mr. Michael MarshallAgainst the background of a declining demand for steel, it is not possible to establish precisely how much overmanning and low labour productivity cost the corporation, 289W but over the last five years to March 1980 the corporation has incurred losses of £1,552 million.
§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Industry how many people have been employed as an average by the British Steel Corporation in each year since 1967; how many people have been made redundant on average in the same period; how many steel plants were in existence in 1967 and in each year since then; how many have been closed in each year since 1967; and how many people were made redundant in each individual case.
§ Mr. Michael MarshallThe total number of those employed by BSC in iron and steelmaking and non iron and steelmaking activities is set out in BSC's annual reports, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.
The other matters on which my hon. Friend has requested information are matters for the Corporation.
§ Mr. David Watkinsasked the Secretary of State for Industry when he proposes to respond to the submissions about the proposal to close the British Steel Corporation's works at Consett, made to him at the meeting on 13 February between Ministers, representatives of Durham county council, Derwentside district council and the hon. Member for Consett.
§ Mr. David MitchellThe Government expect to make an announcement shortly.