§ Mr. Skeet asked the Secretary of State for Industry what is the annual consumption of the United Kingdom in the following minerals: chromium, cobalt, manganese, niobium, molybdenum, the platinum group and vanadium and the highest consumption figures obtained for each during the past 15 years.
§ Mr. MacGregor:Total consumption figures for these materials are not systematically recorded and are not available for the past 15 years. The best estimate of the current annual consumption in the United Kingdom is as follows:
Tonnes Contained Metal
1980 Prices Approximate value
£ million
Chromium chemical grade 33,000 3 ferro chrome 43,000 30 refractory 17,000 3 Cobalt 1,860 40 Manganese 239,000 50 Molybdenum 4,800 60 Niobium 450 2.4 Platinum group metals about 5–6 35 Vanadium 590 3.7