HC Deb 16 June 1965 vol 714 cc430-1
16. Mr. Ridsdale

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will issue a general direction, in the public interest, to the British Railways Board that all ports under its control should issue yearly accounts to show the profit or loss made in their operation.

Mr. Tom Fraser

No, Sir. Port operation is a relatively minor function of the Railways Board, and I do not think that publication of individual trading accounts for each harbour is warranted.

Mr. Ridsdale

What is the reason for that? Is the Minister aware that this is a thoroughly bad commercial practice? Why are not separate accounts published for each port?

Mr. Fraser

I explained why this practice is carried out. The Railways Board was created principally for the purpose of running railways. It owns a few ships and a few relatively small harbours. Up to now it has been considered better that it should be permitted to lump all the harbours together and report on them collectively. We must be very careful before imposing obligations upon the Railways Board to deal with these harbours individually in its Annual Report, in the same way that the Docks Board does. That Board has no other job to do, and it is looking after much bigger enterprises.

Mr. Powell

But does not the right hon. Gentleman recognise the validity of the general recommendation of the Rochdale Report that there was no point in having collective accounts of a number of ports operating in different circumstances, and that the operation of the utility could be judged only if they were separately accounted for? Even if this is not a matter for a general direction, will not the right hon. Gentleman, using the informal ways that are open to him, see that this recommendation is complied with in this respect?

Mr. Fraser

In his own supplementary question the right hon. Gentleman qualified the reference to the National Ports Council's recommendation, because it does not follow from that recommendation that the Railways Board should account separately for each of these small harbours. I am quite willing to have a word with the Railways Board to see whether there would be some advantage in its harbours being accounted for separately. I understand that up to now the Board has not thought that there was any advantage, or was not aware of any clamour, or demand, or wish that it should account for its harbours in this way.