§ 26. Mr. Sutcliffeasked the President of the Board of Trade why imported unsawn timber is still being taken by lorry from Liverpool Docks to isolated stone quarries in the Whitworth Valley, 40 miles away, for temporary storage, involving a waste of labour and petrol justified only in time of war.
§ Mr. H. WilsonThis timber consists of heavy logs mainly of West African mahogany and I am informed that no suitable storage with the necessary mechanical handling facilities is available nearer the docks. In the main the logs are conveyed as return loads by transport carrying goods to the docks.
§ Mr. SutcliffeIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the path to these quarries leads up a mountain road which is deep in mud in winter, and that the waste of tyres, lorries, petrol, etc., must be tremendous? Can he give any idea of the cost, and will he give urgent reconsideration to this matter?
§ Mr. WilsonI agree that the situation is not satisfactory, but I do not know how soon it will be before we can make other arrangements, because that depends on the rate of arrival of these logs in the future, and also on the extent to which we are successful in finding other accommodation.
§ Mr. AustinWould my right hon. Friend look into the question of effecting economies in this matter by the import of sawn and dry timbers?