§ 12. Mr. HOUSTONasked the President of the Board of Trade, whether he will obtain from Lord Inchcape's Committee a 1240 formal Report on the congestion of various important ports in the United Kingdom; if the same will be issued to Members of this House or laid upon the Table; and if he can state at what date this Report will be issued?
Mr. ROBERTSONLord Inchcape's Committee was not constituted to inquire and make a formal Report on congestion in the various ports. It is a Joint Committee of members nominated by port and dock authorities for the purpose of an interchange of views as to the practical steps to be taken by those authorities either separately or in co-operation for dealing with the traffic of the ports in the most expeditious manner possible. The Committee has already accomplished valuable practical work on these lines. I doubt if any useful purpose would be served by calling on them for a formal Report on congestion, and I fear that such an alteration in the objects of the Committee would necessitate a modification of its composition and lead to delay.
§ Mr. HOUSTONIs the hon. Gentleman not aware that the congestion of the ports is a matter of vital importance, and is a direct factor in the increased cost of the food of the people?
§ Mr. HOUSTONIs it not in the public interest that the Report should be issued, because others may be able to make suggestions as well? Can he explain why, on a recent occasion, when the Home Sec-rotary, answering a question addressed to the President to the Board of Trade, referred me to the Report. Was that merely diplomatic evasion?
§ 13. Mr. HOUSTONasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that there is more congestion in the port of Liverpool than in any other port in the United Kingdom; that on or about 14th April some seventy vessels were waiting for discharging berths; that the average number of vessels waiting for berths daily since that date is about sixty, and that many of the berths allotted to steamers are full of cargoes discharged from previous vessels and technically known as foul berths, and, therefore, practically useless for the purposes of discharge; that the ss. "Lime Branch" arrived in the port of Liverpool on 1st March and at the present 1241 date, after being sixty-five days in port, has only succeeded in discharging about two-thirds of her cargo; that there is also a shortage of labour for discharging purposes in Liverpool; and that on the 3rd instant six steamship companies were short of about 1,000 men; whether he is aware that the delay in discharging steamers creates a scarcity of tonnage and an increase in freights without any corresponding advantage to the steamship lines; and whether, in view of the injury to the port and the steamship lines trading to and from Liverpool, he will make representations to the Admiralty and the War Office to make use of other ports where there is less or no congestion?
Mr. ROBERTSONWithout going into details the facts are, generally speaking, in accord with the hon. Member's question. The congestion of the port at Liverpool has caused me great concern, and I can assure the hon. Member that the Admiralty and War Office are fully alive to the difficulties at Liverpool, and are doing all they can to reduce them, both by the use of alternative ports and in other ways.
§ Mr. HOUSTONWill the hon. Gentleman make representations to the War Office and the Admiralty to divert some of the ships which are fitting out there and occupying berths to other ports, where they would not cause congestion in the same manner as they do at Liverpool?
§ Mr. HOUSTONDoes the hon. Member realise what the detention of a steamer like the one I have mentioned means for sixty days in port, and only discharging part of her cargo?