§ Sir David Priceasked the Prime Minister, in view of the European Council's decision that priority should be given to creating a free market for transport, when the other European Community countries will extend to British-registered ships the rights of cabotage.
§ The Prime MinisterThe EC Commission has proposed a 10-year transitional period for the opening up of cabotage trades as between member states. This is a far longer period than is necessary or than we can accept and the Secretary of State for Transport is having discussions with Ministers from other member states with a view to securing much earlier access for British vessels to those trades that are still closed.