§ 28. Mr. McNamara
§ Mr. Swingler£18.9 million over the five years up to 1964; £26.5 million in 1965; about £38 million this year; and about £45 million in 1967.
§ Mr. McNamaraIs my hon. Friend aware that those figures give great satisfaction on this side of the House in showing that the Government are tackling the problem of modernising dockland and improving labour conditions? When will we have the Government's proposals for taking the docks into public ownership?
§ Mr. SwinglerMy right hon. Friend recently made a statement and the position is fully set out in the White Paper. We are determined to achieve this greatly accelerated programme of higher investment in the docks and ports.
§ Mr. Ian LloydDo the figures make allowance for the recently announced cut of £10 million in the expenditure on the docks? Has the Minister decided the exact nature of the cuts and where they are to take place?
§ Mr. SwinglerThe cuts are a reduction in the expenditure limits on dock investment. They are reductions in the programme which hon. Members opposite should have prepared but failed to prepare. The figures I have given are the decisions taken taking into account the Government's emergency measures and they are firm figures based on the rise last year in capital expenditure, the enormous rise this year and the rise already planned for next year.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerWould the hon. Gentleman now reply to my hon. Friend's question and say where this £10 million worth of cuts in his programme will take place? Which port will it affect?
§ Mr. SwinglerI have just explained that what the hon. Member for Portsmouth, Langstone (Mr. Ian Lloyd) describes as a cut in dock investments is a reduction in the amount, a reduction in the programme over these years for capital investment in the docks. The figures I have given, taking account of the emergency measures, are the definite figures of investment. Shall I give it again? I apologise for doing so, but I have been asked. It rose from £18 million—[Interruption.] The figures I have given are definite figures of actual capital investment and planned capital investment for next year, taking into account the emergency measures.
§ Mr. James JohnsonWill my hon. Friend note that the deep sea fishing industry in Hull is investing heavily in newer, bigger and more modern boats and will he see the Docks Harbour Board about enlarging facilities in St. Andrews Docks in Hull?
§ Mr. SwinglerYes, Sir. There are quite a number of proposals being considered in relation to these schemes and that is why this very substantially increasing programme is to be carried out.