§ Mr. David Watkinsasked the Secretary of State for Industry (1) what discussions have been held with major British consumers of non-fuel minerals concerning the creation of a national stockpile of such materials; and what have been the results;
(2) what investment guarantees and special insurance schemes are offered to United Kingdom companies seeking to exploit non-fuel mineral reserves in potentially hostile or politically unstable countries;
(3) what progress he has made towards formulating a national minerals policy.
§ Mr. MacGregorThe procurement of raw materials is primarily a matter for the industries exploiting or using them. The Government promote the use of indigenous non-fuel minerals through their exploration grants scheme and encourage reclamation and recycling. They also help United Kingdom mining companies and industrial consumers to secure supplies for the United Kingdom through the provision of information and through the Export Credit Guarantee Department's investment insurance scheme. Following the consultations with industry announced last year, we are considering the need to stockpile essential non-fuel minerals imported from abroad and the question of further measures to increase our security of supply.