§ Mr. W. ROBERTSasked the Minister for the Co-ordination of Defence (1) whether any provision has been made, in the event of ports on the East Coast being rendered inaccessible by enemy action, for additional accommodation at ports on the South and West Coasts, and for the transport thence of food and merchandise to the various centres of population;
(2) Whether he has called into consultation the heads of organisations concerned with road transport with a view to perfecting arrangements for the adaptation of road transport to national needs which would arise in time of war or other emergency?
§ Sir T. INSKIPA Sub-Committee of the Committee of Imperial Defence has made very close investigations into the problems connected with a possible diversion of imports which enter normally through ports on the East Coast, the object being to have adequate plans in readiness for any emergency, Their work is still continuing, but from their investigations up to the present it does not appear that additional facilities at other ports will be needed. Until further details are examined, for instance the facilities for handling particular commodities, it is not possible to define the position exactly. The same Sub-Committee is considering the distribution of imports from the ports of landing and is in contact with representatives of both rail and road transport interests.