§ Mr. HOUSTONasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that congestion still exists in the port of Liverpool; will he say how many vessels were waiting for berths on 14th April; whether he can state the greatest number of steamers in the port of Liverpool with sugar on board at any one time during the period 1st September, 1914, to 31st March, 1915, and the date of the same; whether he is aware that the steamer "Nurtureton" arrived in Liverpool with a cargo of sugar on 8th January and was not discharged until 9th March; whether demurrage has been paid or will be paid by the consignees or the Royal Commission on the Sugar Supply to the owners of the "Nurtureton" for the delay this vessel experienced in the discharge of her cargo of sugar; whether demurrage has in any-other case been, or is to be, paid to owners of steamers for delay experienced in discharge; whether he is aware that the warehouses in the ports of London, Greenock, and Liverpool have for some time past been congested with sugar, thereby causing great delay to steamers ordered to these ports, although the ports of Glasgow and Manchester, as well as other deep-water ports, are free from congestion; and whether he will represent to the Royal Commission on the Sugar Supply the advisability of ordering vessels with sugar cargoes to Glasgow, Manchester, or other deep-water ports, where they will obtain more speedy discharge than at the ports of Liverpool, London, or Greenock, and thereby help to relieve congestion at these ports?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe President of the Board of Trade has asked me to reply to this question. As the hon. Member is probably aware the whole subject of the congestion in the ports of the United Kingdom has been investigated by the Advisory Committee which my right hon. Friend appointed early in February, under the chairmanship of Lord Inchcape. As far as the Royal Commission on the Sugar Supply is concerned in the matter, it can only be said that since the beginning of the year the Commission has been making 273W every endeavour to avoid adding to the congestion in London and Liverpool any further than the circumstances render inevitable.