§ 60. Mr. Michael Heseltineasked the Minister of Transport if he will set out in detail the compensation he estimates will be paid under the proposals to transfer the British ports to a National Ports Authority; and if he will list the debts to be assumed from statutory bodies and municipal authorities.
§ Mr. MulleyThe amounts of compensation will depend on factors that can be determined only after the Ports Bill is passed, including decisions of the bodies now responsible for undertakings to be transferred. The total for harbour undertakings transferred on initial vesting where compensation or severance payments are relevant should be at most some £25 millions.
The capital liabilities to be assumed (or, in the case of local authorities, serviced) in respect of harbour undertakings likely to be transferred on initial vesting were, at 31st December, 1968, about £99 million for harbours of the British Transport Docks Board, £10 millions for the one local authority harbour (Bristol), and £209 millions for statutory port trusts. Further capital liabilities incurred between 1st January, 1969 and the vesting date could amount to some £50 millions to £65 millions.
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§ 61. Mr. Michael Heseltineasked the Minister of Transport how many licensed port employers exist in each of the ports to be taken over by the proposed National Ports Authority; and what was the equivalent figure for 1964.
§ Mr. MulleyFollowing is the information:
Licensed Employers 23rd September, 1969* Employers at end of 1964 The Port of London Authority 209† 383 The Medway Ports Authority 29 41 The Port of Bristol Authority 19† 75 The Milford Haven Conservancy Board‡ — — The Mersey Docks and Harbour Board 41† 96 The Manchester Ship Canal Company 6† 9 The Clyde Port Authority 4† 25 The Forth Ports Authority 9 55 The Port of Tyne Authority 7† 44 The Tees and Hartlepool Port Authority 9† 43 The British Transport Docks Board: Hull 19† 91 Goole 4† 19 Grimsby 9† 65 Immingham 8 King's Lynn 7§ 28 Lowestoft 3 11 Southampton 11† 26 Plymouth 4§ 27 Lydney‡ — — Newport 2† 22 Cardiff 4† 48 Barry 1† 16 Port Talbot 2† 7 Swansea 2† 23 Garston 2 1 Fleetwood 3† 6 Barrow 1† 2 Silloth 1 4 Ayr 1 5 Troon 0 3 * Latest figures immediately available. Includes those who have no dock workers as permanent employees. † Numbers include the licensing authority where the authority employ registered dock workers in the port concerned. ‡ Not in the Dock Labour Scheme. § These are the numbers for the whole of the Scheme ports of King's Lynn and Plymouth.