22.
asked the Secretary of Sate for Industry if he will make a statement on the future of the Scottish steel industry.
I would refer my hon. Friend to my answer to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Cathcart (Mr. Taylor) on 17th November 1977.—[Vol. 939, c.308–309.]
24.
asked the Secretary of State for Industry what discussions he is having with the British Steel Corporation, the EEC Commission, and world steel producers, including Japan and the United States of America, to avoid price cutting and dumping, securing improvements in productivity, and maintaining employment within the United Kingdom.
My right hon. Friend is in close touch with the British Steel Corporation on all important mat-terms affecting it. The problems of the steel industry are being discussed today by the Council of Ministers, which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade is attending. Multilateral discussions on steel have been organised by the OECD; the United Kingdom is taking part.
asked the Secretary of State for Industry, what is now the rate of output of mild steel, by cate-
| DELIVERIES OF FINISHED NON-ALLOY STEEL | |||||||||
| '000 tonnes | |||||||||
| First half 1972 | First half 1976 | First half 1977 | |||||||
| Home production | Imports | Exports | Home production | Imports | Exports | Home production | Imports | Exports | |
| Ingots, blooms, billets and slabs | 207 | — | 64 | 234 | — | 65 | 322 | — | 158 |
| Plates 3mm. thick and over | 1,327 | 142 | 284 | 1,076 | 267 | 154 | 1,016 | 219 | 162 |
| Other heavy rolled products | 1,127 | 18 | 261 | 976 | 48 | 283 | 974 | 56 | 279 |
| Light rolled products | 1,847 | 335 | 329 | 2,023 | 204 | 428 | 1,961 | 203 | 607 |
| Bright steel bars | 208 | — | 17 | 237 | 3 | 19 | 254 | 4 | 25 |
| Hot and cold rolled strip | 475 | 27 | 32 | 436 | 28 | 24 | 440 | 32 | 29 |
| Sheet, hot rolled and cold reduced | 2,151 | 369 | 680 | 1,346 | 658 | 225 | 1,304 | 465 | 303 |
| Tinplate and black-plate | 659 | — | 160 | 561 | 91 | 103 | 645 | 65 | 132 |
| Tubes and pipes | 699 | 68 | 172 | 612 | 273 | 147 | 590 | 177 | 176 |
| Other finished steel | 127 | 1 | 16 | 146 | 3 | 18 | 129 | 3 | 13 |
| Total | 8,828 | 960 | 2,015 | 7,647 | 1,575 | 1,467 | 7,635 | 1,225 | 1,884 |
Source: Iron and Steel Statistics Bureau.