HC Deb 02 November 1954 vol 532 cc193-4
24. Mr. P. Williams

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is now in a position to say when the port of Sunderland will again be used for the export of stores to British Forces stationed on the Continent of Europe.

Mr. Head

I regret that I cannot fore-see when the port of Sunderland will be used again for this purpose.

Mr. Williams

Will the right hon. Gentleman make a statement about the way in which this traffic was discontinued, and why there was no discussion between the War Office, on the one hand, and the port of Sunderland authorities, on the other?

Mr. Head

This traffic forms a very small proportion of our movements as a whole, and it is our policy to go wherever the move is cheapest and quickest. It so happened that the opening of new facilities at Leith made that, and not Sunderland, the obvious port for traffic to Hamburg.

Mr. Willey

The replies which I have received about this matter are unsatisfactory, and now that my dissatisfaction is shared by the hon. Gentleman, will the right hon. Gentleman look at the matter again?

Mr. Head

I am afraid that it is bound to be unsatisfactory to Sunderland, but the point is that this is now the cheapest move, and if I were to deal with it in some exceptional way in order to oblige the hon. Member, I should have other hon. Members asking me why I was wasting money.

Mr. Williams

I beg to give notice that, owing to the extremely unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I shall raise the matter again.