§ Miss Boothroydasked the Secretay of Trade and Industry what inquiries were made by his Department about the supply requirements of manufacturing industry before he agreed the linked closure of the steel producing firms of F. H. Lloyds, John Bagnall and Breckhouse District Steel.
§ Mr. ChannonMy Department examined the proposal made by the companies concerned in accordance with the rules of the private sector steel scheme. The Government concluded that the supply requirements of customers as well as the industry's own prospects of future viability would be best safeguarded in the longer term by offering support towards the proposed rationalisation. I must stress that it was the companies themselves which decided which of them would stay in the business and which would leave.