§ Mr. John Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will consider setting up a monitoring unit within his Department to ensure that the public interest is safeguarded as regards the terms agreed on any privatisation of publicly owned industry.
§ Mr. Patrick JenkinNo. In reaching decisions the Government are always concerned to safeguard the public interest, and no special machinery is required for the purpose envisaged by the right hon. Member.
United Kingdom Steel Producers' Deliveries '000 Tonnes 1979 1980* 1981 Non-Alloy Ingots, blooms, billets and slabs, including rounds and squares for tubes 467.5 288.2 281.5 Heavy rails and accessories 253.1 †160.7 †226.1 Plates 3mm thick, including coil 2,220.1 1,214.4 1,546.4 Other light rolled sections and hot rolled bars 1,286.8 ‡977.0 ‡955.9 Bright steel bars 422.6 303.9 287.4 Hot rolled strip 345.3 174.5 164.6 Other heavy rolled products (angles, tees, sections, channels, joists and beams, rounds, squares and hexagons) 1,831.2 ║l,311.2 ║1,777.9 Wire rods and other rods and bars in coil, including reinforcing bar in coil 2,558.4 1,619.8 1,764.9 Arches, light rails and accessories 238.8 ..¶ ..¶ Cold rolled strip 405.2 290.5 285.7 Sheets, including coil 2,722.2 1,324.8 2,198.3 Tinplate and blackplate 1,151.7 624.2 863.8 Tubes and pipes, all sizes 1,200.4 819.6 1,005.7 Tyres, wheels, axles and rolled rings 48.4 43.2 46.6 Forgings, excluding drop forgings 29.9 25.5 26.5 Castings 138.5 127.7 97.6 Alloys Stainless and heat-resisting 163.4 117.9 156.9 Other alloy, including stainless and heat resistant tubes and pipes 1,201.4 808.6 830.8 TOTAL ALLOY 1,364.8 926.5 987.7 Notes:
* Figures were affected by the steel strike.
† Reclassified as "Heavy and light rails and accessories".