§ 35. Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Minister of Transport how many cargoes originally intended for Aberdeen have been diverted to other East coast of Scotland ports during the last four weeks; to what other ports they were so diverted; how many of these cargoes so diverted have then been sent by rail to Aberdeen and how many to other centres; and why this was done.
§ Mr. BarnesI am not aware of any ships being diverted from Aberdeen during the last four weeks. Just previous to that period, however, a ship carrying 3,700 tons of phosphates was due to arrive at Aberdeen during a period of neap tides. In order to avoid a delay of 12 days to the ship the Fertiliser Control arranged to discharge the cargo at Leith for local consumption.
§ Mr. Hector HughesWill the Minister look into this again in order to ascertain whether the implication in the Question is accurate; axe not the railways in North East Scotland, in fact, being made more congested thereby; have not the Ministry of Fuel and Power sought to relieve this congestion by diverting coal traffic from rail to ship, and will the Minister ask that this be discontinued?
§ Mr. BarnesThat seems to me to raise many points which are not in the Question.