HC Deb 19 December 1975 vol 902 cc910-1W
Mr. Spearing

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what analysis has been made by his Monitoring Committee of the causes and extent of the decline in conventional cargo handled by the Port of London, the future potential for such cargo and the relation of ship-owners surcharges to any actual increase in costs incurred.

Mr. Marks

I will write to my hon. Friend.

Mr. Spearing

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will, as a matter of urgency, initiate a study of the amount of trans-ocean cargo arriving in or leaving the United Kingdom by roll-on roll-off services destined for, or arriving from, continental ports.

Mr. Marks

Statistics of port traffic are a matter for the National Ports Council, which publishes information about traffic on roll-on/roll-off services. As stated in reply to my hon. Friend's Question on 31st October—[Vol. 898, c.635]—the National Ports Council is studying the available data.