§ Mr. Harry Howarthasked the Prime Minister what consideration he had given to Ministerial responsibility for the Sea Transport Division of the Ministry of Transport; and whether he will make a statement.
§ The Prime MinisterYes. I propose to transfer responsibility for this Division 85W from the Ministry of Transport to the Board of Trade on the 1st January, 1969, subject to the laying before Parliament of the necessary Transfer of Functions Order.
The study suggested in the Seventh Report of the Estimate Committee for Session 1966–67 showed that it would be uneconomic to split off the Division's work on service stores for transfer to the Ministry of Defence, especially as its volume is likely to decline. It will now be easier to man and manage the Division efficiently if it is associated with the other work on shipping matters for which the Board of Trade have responsibility.