§ 40. Mr. GILBERTasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport whether the Ministry has exorcised the powers conferred upon it by Section 17 of the Ministry of Transport Act, 1919, to make grants for the construction, improvement, or maintenance of ferries as well as of roads and bridges; if not, what are the reasons for departing from the intention of that section; and why, if such grants have been made, they should not on made to the London County Council as regards Woolwich Ferry, which was completed in 1889 at a cost of £192,000, and was maintained in 1920–21 at a net cost of £65,484, seeing that the ferry provides free transit for passengers and vehicles between two first-class roads on either side of the River Thames?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the MINISTRY of TRANSPORT (Mr. Neal)No moneys have been provided by Parliament under Section 17 of the Ministry of Transport Act towards the cost of the maintenance or improvement of ferries, nor has it up to the present time been found practicable to apply any portion of the Road Fund to this purpose.