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Mr. Russell
asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a comprehensive statement of the quantity and value of goods and commodities bought in bulk from overseas by various Government Departments during 1949.
Mr. H. Wilson
The information asked for is given in the following tables:
| BOARD OF TRADE | ||
| Material | Quantity (a) | Value (f.o.b.) |
| Tons 000's | £000's | |
| Timber | 5,039·0 | 74,471 |
| Raw materials from textiles (b) | 238·5 | 26,660 |
| Hides, skins and tanning materials | 173·5 | 25,114 |
| Papermaking materials and board | 1,551·9 | 34,237 |
| Materials for fertilizers and for the manufacture of sulphuric acid | 2,390·6 | 14,213 |
| Chemicals | 372·8 | 2,486 |
| Miscellaneous raw materials | 15·6 | 656 |
| 9,781·9 | 177,837 | |
| (a) Arrivals in the United Kingdom as recorded by Controls. | ||
| (b) Does not include raw cotton which is purchased by the Raw Cotton Commission. | ||
| MINISTRY OF SUPPLY | ||
| Material | Quantity (a) | Value (f.o.b.) |
| Tons 000's | £000's | |
| Chrome Ore | 120·0 | 612 |
| Copper (blister and electrolytic) | (b) 322·5 | 39,758 |
| Lead | 198·0 | 18,722 |
| Tin ore (tin content) | (c) 8·1 | 4,545 |
| Virgin aluminium | 175·0 | 15,460 |
| Zinc | 137·1 | 11,531 |
| Pig iron (d) | 46·7 | 750 |
| Steel (d) | 515·2 | 14,760 |
| 1,522·6 | 106,138 | |
| (a) Quantities tendered under contract for nonferrous metals; for pig-iron and steel. Arrivals in the United Kingdom as recorded on Customs Entries dock values adjusted to f.o.b. | ||
| (b) Excludes tonnages returned from toll refining overseas of Ministry copper and copper alloy scrap as refined copper. | ||
| (c) Excludes tonnages of tin ore bought and imported on private account although the metal produced in the United Kingdom from such purchases is taken over by the Ministry. Excludes also purchases of this metal in Malaya by the Ministry and sold direct to overseas consumers. | ||
| (d) Government purchase of pig iron and semifinished steel extended only over the first quarter of 1949. Private trade was resumed on 1st April, 1949. Government purchase of finished steel continued throughout 1949. | ||
| MINISTRY OF FOOD | ||
| Commodity | Quantity (a) | Value (f.o.b.) |
| Tons 000's | £000's | |
| Fruits and Vegetables (b) | 865·4 | 37,537 |
| Fish (c) | 75·9 | 12,358 |
| Meat and Bacon (d) | 1,204·1 | 134,822 |
| Tea, Coffee and Cocoa | 396·0 | 84,650 |
| Cereals, Pulses, Starch and Animal Feeding-stuffs | 7,430·1 | 163,379 |
| Sugar and Glucose | 2,227·1 | 56,401 |
| Milk Products, Eggs and Oils and Fats | 2,602·8 | 263,236 |
| 14,801·4 | 752,383 | |
| (a) Amounts paid for in 1949. Excludes purchases shipped direct for overseas consumption. | ||
| (b) Including canned fruit, dried fruit, edible nuts and fruit juices. | ||
| (c) Including canned fish. | ||
| (d) Including canned meat, poultry and rabbits. | ||
| MINISTRY OF WORKS | ||
| Commodity | Number (a) | Value ex works |
| £000's | ||
| Excavators | 134 | 1,416 |
| (a) Arrivals in United Kingdom. | ||