HL Deb 24 February 1970 vol 308 cc1-4

2.36 p.m.

THE EARL OF LAUDERDALE

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

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Inter-Departmental Working Group on MIDAS have yet taken a decision on Professor Peston's report on the feasibility of a cost/benefit study.]

THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT (LORD KENNET)

My Lords, Professor Peston's report is at the moment still under consideration.

THE EARL OF LAUDERDALE

My Lords, in seeking to thank the noble Lord for what is not, I am afraid, a very forth-coming or agreeable reply, may I ask him first of all whether the Government will press on with this matter, which has been hanging fire for a long time? Secondly, if the Working Group do come to the conclusion that there should now be a cost/benefit study, in addition to a feasibility study of a cost/benefit study, would the noble Lord draw the attention of those concerned to the point that it would be well if it was not simply on a narrow, discounted cash-flow basis but took account of the widest socio-economic considerations such as have been studied in Holland?

LORD KENNET

My Lords, I am afraid that I did not catch the last words of the noble Earl. As have been studied where?

THE EARL OF LAUDERDALE

In the Netherlands. As the noble Lord has raised that, may I follow it up? Would he consider whether the Netherlands Economic Institute, who have much experience of cost/benefit studies on the widest possible scale, might not usefully be consulted, as indeed they are being consulted by other bodies in Britain? But, above all, would he please press on with the matter?

LORD KENNET

Perhaps the noble Earl will be able to form a judgment of the desirability of doing all this extra work when he has seen this report.

THE EARL OF LAUDERDALE

My Lords, are the Government going to publish it; and, if so, when may we see it?

LORD KENNET

My Lords, I under-stand that the National Ports Council have decided, in principle, to publish it.

LORD VIVIAN

My Lords, are Her Majesty's Government aware that port traffic through nine West European ports grew by 33 per cent. over five years, while traffic through British ports grew only 11 per cent.?

LORD KENNET

My Lords, I am not in a position to endorse that figure at the drop of a hat, but if it is true I have no doubt that Her Majesty's Government are aware of it.

LORD STRATHCLYDE

My Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether Her Majesty's Government are content that one-sixth of our imports of grain should come to us through Continental ports, and also that Scotland's imports of ore from Australia are also to be trans-shipped through ports on the Continent?

LORD KENNET

My Lords, those are separate questions.

THE EARL OF LAUDERDALE

My Lords, are not these questions relevant to the whole issue of MIDAK, on which the Government have sat for three years doing, it would seem, very little indeed?

LORD KENNET

My Lords, I gave the noble Earl yesterday a Written Answer in some detail about the phases of Government study on this matter.

THE EARL OF LAUDERDALE

My Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for that Written Answer and the courtesy of letting me have it last night, may I draw attention to the fact—

SEVERAL NOBLE LORDS: No.

THE EARL OF LAUDERDALE

May I ask the noble Lord whether he is aware that the dates in that Answer bear out the very point I have been making?

LORD BALERNO

My Lords, may I ask the Government why there was a delay in the Working Party originally commissioning Halcrows as consultants and why, when the report from the consultants came in, there was a further delay of 15 months before Professor Peston was commissioned to do his feasibility study of a cost/benefit study?

LORD KENNET

My Lords, I am not sure that the House would want a full account of every month occupied by everybody on this work, and if the noble Lord agrees I will write to him and seek to allay his curiosity.

LORD NUGENT OF GUILDFORD

But is the noble Lord aware that there is a good deal of anxiety about this matter, and would he use his best influence to see that Professor Peston's report is published as soon as possible?

LORD KENNET

My Lords, it is a complex matter, and it has required pro-found study. We now have two reports about it. The latter and more general one, I understand, will shortly be published, as I told the House, by the National Ports Council.