§ 10. Mr. Grant-Ferrisasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what efforts have been made to stimulate traffic on the canals in order to alleviate the fuel position at the moment; and how far these efforts have met with success.
§ Mr. WatkinsonAlthough the fuel shortage has reduced some normal traffics, there have been many useful transfers of traffic to the canals and, in some areas, the increase has been about 10 per cent. I hope that the spare capacity which carriers still have will be increasingly used.
§ Mr. Grant-FerrisI thank my right hon. Friend for that quite satisfactory answer. Does it not show what can be done on the canals when a real effort is made? Does it not show, further, that even greater success could be achieved were an independent authority in competition with the British Transport Commission?
§ Mr. WatkinsonI am glad to have satisfied my hon. Friend at least in part. As to the long-term aspect, we must await the findings of the Bowes Committee.
§ Mr. FernyhoughWould not the right hon. Gentleman agree that our fuel difficulties arise because hon. Gentlemen opposite wanted to put a block on a certain canal?