HC Deb 31 May 1967 vol 747 cc18-9W
Mr. Russell Johnston

asked the Minister of Transport if she will commission a study of the volume of Scottish exports shipped from English ports, enumerating the reasons for the shipments where high inland freight charges resulted.

Mr. Swingler

Tables published by the National Ports Council in their Digest of Port Statistics show that in 1964, out of 1.5 million tons of dry cargo exports other than coal which originated in Scotland, only some 250,000 tons were shipped through English seaports.

Additional light may be thrown on the general influence of such factors as overall transport costs and shipping service availability and frequency by some of the studies now in progress; we do not think a special survey of this small percentage of Scottish exports would yield results proportionate to its likely cost.

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