§ Major Procterasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) what is the approximate annual amount of revenue now derived from customs duties imposed on the port of Tel Aviv, in Palestine; and what financial contribution has been made by the Government towards the cost of this port;
(2) whether he is aware that the volume of goods imported through the port of Tel Aviv in 1937 totalled approximately 100,000 tons, as compared with 127,000 tons imported through Jaffa; and for what reason, in these circumstances, the Government deny the port of Tel Aviv the rights and facilities which are granted even to such minor ports as Acre, through which the imports for 1937 were only 4,000 tons?
§ Mr. Ormsby-GorePermission for the loading and unloading of all classes of goods at the port of Tel Aviv was given as recently as last August; consequently no information is available as to the annual amount of revenue derived from customs duties at the new port. The port is a private commercial venture undertaken by Jewish business interests, and approval for its construction was given on the understanding that no expenditure would fall upon the Government of Palestine or upon municipal funds, and that the cost of any additional Government services would be refunded.