§ Mr. J. Griffithsasked the Minister of Transport whether his attention has been 704W called to the serious decline in the trade of the port and harbour of Llanelly; and whether, in view of the advantages of the port as the nearest Bristol Channel port to the ocean and its comparative invulnerability, he will consult with the port authorities, with a view to its development?
§ Mr. BurginI am aware that the trade of this port has recently declined. I am also aware that considerable expenditure would be required to modernise the equipment of the port and that it is suffering from its inability to accommodate the larger vessels engaged in South Wales trades. The whole position has been exhaustively reviewed by my Department with the trustees, but it appears that the latter have not been able to meet the expenditure involved in improving the port. I regret that I have neither power nor funds to grant financial assistance for the purpose.