Overseas scraps
Page 12
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TO BAN lorries from collecting scrap off the streets would encourage "undesirables" to start their own collecting companies and would throw the trade into disrepute again, said Harry Woodman, chairman of the transport committee of the British Scrap Federation.
There are eight million tons of scrap collected each year in the United Kingdom. Of the three million tons of processed material exported, 27 per cent travels through London.
Intense competition from the United States of America has forced Britain to find a market in the Far East. "This extra journey means transport costs have to be kept as low as possible to be able to compete with the Far East's neighbouring exporters," he commented.
Although many scrap companies have rail sidings, British Rail is having difficulty in supplying the wagons and shunting engines they need, he pointed out. "Weight restrictions forcing us to use smaller lorries would be completely uneconomic, cause chaos in congestion of roads and, in view of the Government's comments on the Armitage Report, would be sheer lunacy," Mr Woodman stressed.