§ 16. Mr. NUTTALLasked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the growing trade of the country and the necessity for cheaper methods of transit for heavy and bulky goods, such as are provided in Germany and other countries who compete with England, he will state if the Government intend to bring in a Bill to construct a main system of waterways to be controlled by a waterways board, as recommended by the Royal Commission on Canals?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of TRADE (Mr. Buxton)I have given very careful consideration to the report of the Royal Commission to which my hon. Friend refers, but the financial difficulties of the scheme they recommend are considerable. The outlay for purchase and for improvements would be very large, amounting to over twenty millions. The Commission did not think that much assistance was to be expected in the shape of local contributions. The scheme, if carried out, would no doubt indirectly 1240 benefit the country at large, but the direct benefit would be to particular districts, whilst the whole country would have to bear the expense. A further point is the question whether an increase in the traffic on the canals is to be expected, sufficient to bring in a reasonable return on the outlay on improvements, and on this point the report is not reassuring. In these circumstances I have not up to the present seen my way to make proposals to give effect to the recommendations of the Commission.