§ SIR BRAMPTON GURDON (Norfolk, N.)To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are the intentions of the Board with regard to the tonnage clauses contained in the Great Yarmouth Port and Haven Bill, the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board Bill, the Cardiff Railway Bill, the Taff Vale Railway Bill and the Leith Harbour and Docks Bill.
§ (Answered by Mr. Lloyd-George.) I propose to introduce at an early date a Bill dealing generally with the question of varying the deductions from the gross registered tonnage of vessels now permitted by statute in order to arrive at the basis on which harbour and pilotage dues are to be levied. This Bill will, I hope, be referred to a strong Select Committee. In these circumstances I have suggested to the promoters of the Cardiff Railway Bill and the Leith Harbour and Docks Bills that they should withdraw those Bills which deal only with this question. As regards other Bills of this session in which the question is raised inter alia, I have suggested to the promoters that they should withdraw the clauses dealing with this particular matter.