§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Secretary of State for Industry by what percentage steel capacity and production, respectively, have been increased or decreased by the United Kingdom and Italy, respectively, since the introduction of the crisis cartel.
§ Mr. Butcher:Mandatory production quotas under article 58 of the Treaty of Paris were introduced in 1980, though looser anti-crisis measures had been in operation since 1978. Data are therefore given for two periods; 1978 to 1980 and 1980 to 1981, the latest year for which definitive figures are available.
Percentage increase or decrease over the period (all figures relate to crude steel) 1978–1980 1980–1981 Italian capacity up 10.4 up 1 Italian production up 9.1 down 6.6 United Kingdom capacity up 0.4 down 9.9 United Kingdom production* down 44.6 up 35.8 Source: Eurostat.
* The BSC strike in 1980 affects these figures.
§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Secretary of State for Industry if he has any evidence of EEC nations selling steel in the United Kingdom at prices or terms below their published price lists; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Butcher:Under current ECSC price rules, steel producers and dealers are required, except in certain specified exemptions, to publish price lists and adhere to them except when aligning on to a competitor's price. The Government have received no firm evidence of instances where companies in other member States are failing to abide by these rules. We should welcome any such evidence, which we would pass to the Commission, to whom we look to enforce the rules vigorously. In this latter connection, the Commission has recently increased the number of inspectors responsible for policing the rules.