§ Mr. FIELDasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can state the sum realised by the levy of rates on ships and dues on goods at the following ports: London, Liverpool, Cardiff, Glasgow, Dublin, and Belfast, respectively, during the years 1913 and 1914; whether he can state if the Port of London Authority has raised or proposes to raise, the dues on goods, and what is the percentage added; whether other charges are included in dues on goods; and, if so, whether they can be particularised?
Mr. RUNCIMANI am informed by the Port Authorities at the places mentioned that the amounts realised by the rates on ships and dues on goods during the years 1913 and 1914 were as follows:—
Port. 1913. 1914. Rates on Ships. Dues on Goods. Rates on Ships. Dues on Goods. £ £ £ £ London* … 769,238 324,595 800,069 343,551 Liverpool … 827,867† 794,895 844,756† 734,532 Cardiff (Bute Docks) … 163,482 151,146 156,998 132,682 Glasgow … 159,119 318,920 152,918 312,784 Dublin … 66,659 19,555 69,930 21,915 Belfast … 67,044 63,866 70,136 59,150 * The figures for London are for the years ended the 31st March, 1913 and 1914, respectively. Those for the year ended the 31st March, 1915, are not yet available. † These sums include rates paid on ships using the Port of Liverpool but not entering the docks. The Port of London Authority on the 1st May increased the port rates on goods by from 20 to 25 per cent.—the variation arising through the necessity of avoiding impracticable fractions of a penny. The dues on goods are the wharfage or port charges, and do not include charges for cranes, shed rents, and services rendered, such as porterage, etc.