§ 3.34 p.m.
§ THE EARL OF LAUDERDALEMy 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 what conclusions they have drawn from their study of the possible demand 1119 by bulk raw material users for development of Mums as originally proposed by the National Ports Council.
§ THE MINISTER WITHOUT PORT-FOLIO (LORD DRUMALBYN)My Lords, I have nothing to add to my answer of April 26. Although the preliminary work on the study has been completed, the Report has still to be examined in detail by the Departments concerned with a view to its submission to Ministers.
§ THE EARL OF LAUDERDALEMy Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for that reply, may I ask him whether he is aware that a seven weeks' period since the last Question with no further advance brings no credit on the Government. Also, is he aware that when this study was set in hand a year ago the object, declared from the Front Bench by his colleague, was to get an answer by last Christmas?
§ LORD DRUMALBYNYes, my Lords, I am aware that it was hoped to complete the preliminary work by the end of last year. The preliminary work, as I think I told my noble friend earlier, was completed at the beginning of this year, but this further study by Departments has yet to be done.
§ THE EARL OF LAUDERDALEMy Lords, while thanking my noble friend, may I ask him whether he will use his best endeavours to press on with this matter? Had the intended Peston study been put in hand when his Government took office two years ago, we should have had the result by now. This delay is not to the Government's credit or to the country's advantage.
§ LORD DRUMALBYNMy Lords, perhaps I ought to say that this study is not quite the same as the Peston study, but I will use such influence as I may have to try to get this settled.
§ LORD SHACKLETONMy Lords, may I ask the Government whether we can finally settle whether the word "MIDA" is part of the English language? If it were part of it, then it need not be printed in capitals, and we should know whether we were talking about Midas or a lot of MIDAS.
§ LORD DRUMALBYNMy Lords, these Maritime Industrial Development 1120 Areas will no doubt become better known if and when this Report is published.
§ LORD DAVIES OF LEEKMy Lords, it is another one of those damned acronyms.
§ THE EARL OF LAUDERDALEMy Lords, may I ask my noble friend whether he can give us an assurance that the Report will be published?
§ LORD DRUMALBYNNo, my Lords. I think that would be a little premature. This has to be examined by the Departments and the Ministers will have to consider it. I should not like to give a date.