§ Mr. T. J. WILLIAMSThe question which I have to submit for the consideration of the President of the Board of Trade arises at the request of a large number of shareholders who are scattered 1258 throughout the United Kingdom and some of whom live in my Constituency, the town of Swansea, and the Swansea Harbour Trust. Complaint arises because certain ports in the Bristol Channel receive financial support from the Government, while the important docks at Swansea do not get any. As a commercial port it is the oldest in the Bristol Channel. Before the War it had always been a successful financial port and it had advantages over all the other ports in the Bristol Channel in the matter of equipment and facilities. It also had the advantage that it was the first and nearest port to the Atlantic. The Swansea Harbour Trust has a capital of about £4,500,000. There are something like 8,000 to 9,000 shareholders, apart from individual money and invested funds representing those of the trustees, and very large amounts belonging to friendly societies. Not long before the War a new dock was constructed known as the King's Dock. The promoters of this undertaking gave it ten years before the revenue would be able to cover the dividend on the capital. This was accomplished in about half that period. When the appeal for the King's Dock was promoted the town of Swansea came forward with the responsibility of the rates of the town to assist up to the extent of £150,000. The whole of this money has been taken up. The area surrounding this important port is the metallurgical centre of the whole Kingdom. If the port ceases to-morrow, your War stops. Over 85 per cent. of the spelter manufactured in the country is produced in this area. Over 80 per cent. of the tinplates manufactured within the area are shipped at Swansea, for commercial purposes chiefly, and only secondly for war purposes. I might also touch on the copper industry and on the very important metal, nickel. Apart from metals, it is the Western port for the shipment of the coal of West Monmouth, Glamorganshire, and Carmarthenshire. We at Swansea have nothing whatever to say against the Government for their kindly treatment of other ports in the Bristol Channel, but in a war of national existence there should be equality of financial treatment to the community interested in these important docks of Swansea.
It may be suggested that Swansea has its remedy. It may be said that it might put up its dues. This cannot be done. Swansea, together with other ports in the Bristol Channel, belongs to an association whose dues are organised through a com- 1259 mittee. Furthermore, if it were possible it would be a means of diverting shipping to other ports. The Board of Trade, in taking hold of the railways, decided that docks which are controlled by railways should also come under any support given by the Government to railways. Swansea has never been in a financial position to ask any railway company to come forward to give it support, and many of these controlled docks which are receiving support to-day from the Government owe it to the fact that they were financially wrong and simply wanted aid. In fact, it amounts to this, that because Swansea required no financial support from railways in the past, it seems to be the position of the Government to wish to tax successful financial management. The Board of Trade has treated Swansea on nothing more or lees than a technicality. If you investigate the point you will find that though the technicalities in the case of the controlled docks in the Bristol Channel may not be quite the same as compared with Swansea, yet there are technicalities which have not prevented those docks having that support from the Treasury which has been denied to Swansea. I consider that the docks of Swansea are of as great national importance as any railroad. The railroads would be unneeded there if it were not for the docks. By giving a preference to certain docks in the Bristol Channel you are creating a financial monopoly, and you are doing another thing which is most important. You are bringing about less employment in Swansea for the benefit of other areas, whereas there should be equality throughout South Wales. This is a point about which the employés in the docks are very much concerned. Swansea and its port do not complain of equality of sacrifice in any sphere arising out of the War, but they complain of want of equality of privilege, which you have denied it. We hear a great deal in reference to reconstruction after the War. A stitch in time saves nine. If you come forward to-day you will save the country thousands of pounds, and by taking control of this dock at Swansea you will be accomplishing a fact which will be of national importance to the community.
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the BOARD of TRADE (Mr. Wardle)I am sure we have listened to the hon. Member's statement with regard to the 1260 importance of the port of Swansea with great interest, and I can assure him that there is no need to ask for the sympathy of the Board of Trade in regard to the matter. It is already given, and it has been given on many occasions. Only yesterday the President of the Board of Trade received a deputation from the harbour and dock authorities, upon which Swansea was represented, and he gave a definite promise that he would look into the whole question both as regards Swansea and the very great difficulties that many other ports and docks are in at present. The whole question of the docks is a matter of great national importance at this time, and the importance of Swansea has not been overlooked during recent months. But it is not a question which can be settled merely by the Board of Trade or by one Department alone. The question of the treatment of docks from a financial point of view and from a control point of view differs enormously, not only according to the situation of the dock, but according to the past history of the dock and according to its relations with railways, public or private trusts, or town councils, as happens in some cases. The whole of these relations have to be explored. Up to the present there has been no national policy applied to the whole of the docks of the country, and Swansea, no doubt, to some extent suffers from its virtues in the past. It has tried to paddle its own canoe entirely, and, as a consequence, it is not linked up with some of the other docks to which the hon. Member has referred, and as a consequence of that it has not a financial backing and guarantee on its own account or Government account which have come to these others. I quite recognise that the importance of Swansea at present, from a metallurgical point of view, is exceedingly great, and that it would not only be a disaster to Swansea, but to the country, if anything happened to interfere with the trade of that port; and I can assure the hon. Member that the facts which he has put forward and those which were brought before the Board of Trade by the deputation which was received yesterday will not only receive our careful consideration, but will be followed by an inquiry and, I hope, by immediate action. I will give the hon. Member the undertaking that the question of Swansea Dock, as well as the general question of the docks, will receive our attention in the very near future.