§ Mr. Sparksasked the Minister of Transport the number of water craft available for traffic on the canals, excluding the Manchester Ship Canal, in 1938 and 1947, showing figures for the canal systems of the former railway companies, separately.
§ Mr. BarnesThe figures for 1938 are not available. At the end of November, 1947, the total number of canal craft of all types was 7,237. Of this number 3,288 were narrow craft and 3,949 were wide craft. As canal craft are free to operate over any navigation which can accommodate them, it is not practicable to relate the craft to any particular canal.