HC Deb 25 October 1982 vol 29 cc284-6W
19. Mr. Hooley

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what progress is being made with the "Phoenix" schemes for the reorganisation of the steel industry.

Mr. Patrick Jenkin:

Phoenix I—Allied Steel and Wire Limited—was set up in July 1981 as a joint venture between BSC and GKN.

Phoenix II, a proposed joint venture between BSC and GKN in engineering steels, has been suspended pending a possible change in market conditions.

Phoenix III, a proposed merger by BSC and Johnson Firthe Brown of their heavy forging and related interests in a new 50–50 company to be known as Sheffield Forgemasters, was announced last August. The Government are currently considering financial support for rationalisation and new investment by the new company.

Mr. Teddy Taylor

asked the Secretary of State for Industry (1) if he will publish a table showing steel capacity and steel production in the United Kingdom and the rest of the EEC respectively, in the last 12-month period for which figures are available; and if he will publish comparable totals for the previous 10 years;

(2) what was the total consumption and production of steel in the United Kingdom, respectively, in the last 12-month period for which figures are available; and what were the comparable figures in the same period of each of the previous 10 years.

Mr. Butcher:

I shall reply to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

25. Mr. Cunliffe

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he has had any recent discussions with the chairman of the British Steel Corporation about the prospects for the steel industry; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Patrick Jenkin:

I last met the BSC chairman on 19 October. I have nothing at present to add to the statement I made on Friday.

34. Mr. Hardy

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what action he has taken to assist the British steel industry in the last four months.

Mr. Patrick Jenkin:

In addition to the steps I announced in my statement on Friday to stabilise the steel market, I am continuing financial support both for BSC and, under the private sector steel scheme, for restructuring the private sector.

35. Mr. John H. Osborn

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will take steps to bring together bulk steel manufacturers throughout the world to discuss dumping, subsidies, energy costs, raw material costs and markets, with a view to ensuring more stable markets.

Mr. Patrick Jenkin:

Governments of the main steel-producing countries discuss current problems facing the world steel industry regularly in the OECD steel committee, which next meets in November, and in the Economic Commission for Europe Steel Committee, which next meets at the end of October. The Government will take an active part in these discussions. The major steel producers of the world meet regularly at the international iron and steel conference, the last meeting of which took place recently in Tokyo.

36. Sir Anthony Meyer

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what recent discussions he has had with the chairman of the British Steel Corporation about the prospects for the steel industry.

Mr. Patrick Jenkin:

I last met Mr. MacGregor on 19 October to discuss the present crisis in the steel industry.

Mr. John H. Osborn

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will consider raising the outstanding problems of bulk steel manufacturers, on dumping, subsidies, energy costs, raw material costs and markets in the Steel Committee of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Mr. Butcher:

The agenda of the next meeting of the OECD steel committee, in November, will make provision for discussion of the outstanding problems of bulk steel manufacturers. The Government, together with the European Community delegation, will play a full part in this discussion, and a number of issues pertinent to the problems listed by my hon. Friend will be raised. In the corresponding discussion at the last meeting of the Committee, in July, the Government supported the EC delegation's reaffirmation of the consensus which led to the establishment of the committee in 1978, and its call that other member Governments should do likewise.