§ 46. Mr. Gresham Cookeasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he is satisfied that the rate of mechanisation in handling shipments in 2023 British ports is keeping pace with that in Continental ports; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation (Mr. Hugh Molson)The pace of mechanisation must depend on the local conditions, which vary from port to port, and no absolute comparison can be made between United Kingdom and Continental ports. But I think the United Kingdom ports have made some progress, especially in the handling of bulk cargoes.
§ Mr. Gresham CookeI thank my hon. Friend for that reply. Will he note that a lot of people are not very happy about the rate of mechanisation in British ports? For example, is he aware that there are more fork-lift trucks in one large motor car factory than in the whole of the Port of London?
§ Mr. MolsonI am aware that the Ports Efficiency Committee, which reported in 1952, said that mechanisation had been disappointingly slow in ports. It referred to the need for employers to be certain that mechanical equipment would be fully used, and for employees to appreciate that despite possible individual redundancy mechanisation would be to the ultimate advantage of labour and of the whole country.