asked the Prime Minister whether his communication to the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation on 8th February last represents a final decision of the Government on the request to institute an inquiry into the iron and steel industry or whether the matter is open to reconsideration?

The views contained in my letter of 8th February represent the final decision of the Government.

Will the committee that it is proposed to set up following the General Election, if the Government are returned to power, inquire into, report, and make recommendations on, matters other than Safeguarding affecting iron and steel?

If I understand the hon. Member aright, he is asking what kind of inquiry the Safeguarding Committee would give if the industry asked for such an inquiry, if the present Government returned to power. That all is rather problematical. It has always been the case that when a question regarding Safeguarding is under consideration all kinds of relevant matter have to be examined into.

In view of the statement made by the Prime Minister in his letter of 8th February, that if the Government are returned they propose setting up a different kind of committee to deal with the question of Safeguarding, will the new committee deal with questions other than Safeguarding, and in addition to Safeguarding?

So far as my memory serves me, the changes that were adumbrated by the Minister who spoke were rather changes in the direction the hon. Member desires.

Does the right hon. Gentleman mean that the new form of Safeguarding Committee is to be asked to make the wide sort of inquiry that was asked for by the Iron and Steel Trade Confederation?

I am not at this moment going into any question of what the next Parliament may do.