§ Mr. JESSONasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Shipping if his attention has been called to the difficulty that Walthamstow and other Metropolitan borough and urban councils are 916W experiencing in obtaining granite kerb and other granite from the Channel Islands for public work, owing to the contractors being unable to secure suitable steamers in consequence of the abnormal rates of freightage now obtainable for the transport of other material; whether the present freightage for coal cargoes from Newcastle-on-Tyne to Northern France and South of England ports is from 50s. to 55s. per ton, and that while such rates are obtainable steamship owners are refusing to accept stone cargoes at the rates offered by the quarry owners; if he is aware that steamers, after discharging coal cargoes at Guernsey, leave in ballast rather than take granite as heretofore; and if he will take steps to request steamship owners to accept granite cargoes from Guernsey at such rates as will enable local authorities to maintain their public highways which, in many cases, are badly in need of repair?
Colonel WILSONI would refer the hon. Member to the reply given on March 1st to the hon. Member for Islington East (Mr. Raper). The Shipping Controller is aware of the difficulty which has been experienced in getting granite shipped, and has been able to arrange for some suitable steamers to load stone from Guernsey.