§ 11. Mr. Brintonasked the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to receive the inspector's report on the inquiry into the port rates charged by the Port of London Authority; and when he expects to be able to make a decision on the inspector's recommendations.
§ Mr. David MitchellWe expect to receive the report very shortly. We will announce our decision as soon as possible, but I cannot yet say when this will be.
§ Mr. BrintonI thank my hon. Friend for that answer. When making his decision on this report, will he consider separating the conservancy activities of the PLA from the purely commercial activities, such as the Tilbury area? Does he accept that these commercial activities have, in effect, made the PLA bankrupt?
§ Mr. MitchellWhen we have received and considered the report and are in a position to reply to the PLA about its own finances, I shall have in mind the point that my hon. Friend has made.
§ Mr. LoydenWill the Minister bear in mind that heavy conservancy costs in some ports make them less competitive than other ports whose conservancy costs are lighter? Would it not be right and proper for the Government to intervene to ensure equalisation of port conservancy costs by financially supporting authorities faced with high conservancy costs?
§ Mr. MitchellThat concept has never been espoused by any Government. It would, I think, be counterproductive to ensuring effective competition between our ports in attracting cargo.
§ Mr. Tim SmithWill my hon. Friend try to establish the extent to which port rates in London are a genuine charge for conservancy costs and to what extent they subsidise the PLA's loss-making operations? To the extent that they are the latter, does my hon. Friend agree that they are entirely unjustified and ought to be abolished?
§ Mr. MitchellIt would be presumptuous of me to answer that question until we have seen the inspector's report and examined what he says.