HL Deb 12 March 1952 vol 175 cc661-2

2.55 p.m.

VISCOUNT ST. DAVIDS

My Lords, I beg to ask the Question which stands in my name an the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask whether it is the policy of Her Majesty's Government to abandon the canal system of this country or sell it to local authorities and to transfer its goods traffic to the railways.]

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE CO-ORDINATION OF TRANSPORT, FUEL AND POWER (LORD LEATHERS)

My Lords, there are some 2,600 miles of canals and navigable rivers in this country, of which about 2,000 miles were transferred to the British Transport Commission by the Transport Act, 1947. This 2,000 miles includes most of the inland waterways still used commercially for navigation, which carry about 12,000,000 tons of commercial traffic and play a useful part in the transport system of the country. About half the tonnage carried is coal, and the Commission have no intention of abandoning or disposing of their system of waterways as a whole. A number of canals, however (accounting for approximately one-third of the total mileage transferred to the Commission) were little or not at all used commercially or had already become derelict, and the Commission are satisfied that many are no longer required as a means of transport. It may be decided that some should be abandoned as no longer needed others, if not required for purposes of navigation, may yet serve a useful purpose as drainage channels, as sources of water supply to agriculture and industries along their banks, or as amenities for pleasure boating. I understand that in several such cases the Commission have opened negotiations with the authorities particularly concerned for the transfer of parts of canals to them. The remaining canals of the country are in private hands.

VISCOUNT ST. DAVIDS

My Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for a full and informative reply, will he see that lectures such as those recently given to a number of students of town and country planning, which were roughly in the terms of the Question I put on the Order Paper, are not given?

LORD LEATHERS

My Lords, I was not aware of any such lectures, but I will inquire and see what can be done.