§ 57. Mr. A. J. Irvineasked the Minister of Transport whether he is satisfied at the rate of progress achieved by the National Ports Council in the carrying out of its responsibilities; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Tom FraserYes. The Council has made a good start on the many and difficult responsibilities which it has to discharge. For example, it expects to have ready shortly interim proposals for co-ordinated national port development to be discussed with the port authorities and submitted to me. It has advised me on many important dock development schemes, notably on the very difficult problem of new facilities for importing iron ore into South Wales. It has made public its views on future port organisation for the most important estuaries and has done much work on the formulation of detailed proposals. It has set up a Research Committee to examine operational and technological questions affecting the docks.