HC Deb 05 August 1976 vol 916 cc965-6W
Mr. Shersby

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether his Department received any representations from interested parties following the publication of the Standing Committee on Pilotage Report; whether such representations were published; and whether his Department proposes to amend its intentions in implementing any aspects of the Report in view of any recommendations received.

Mr. Clinton Davis

Following publication of the SCOP Report in June 1974 observations were submitted by numerous organisations interested in pilotage and by some individual pilots. These representations were not published. The Government took account of these views when formulating their policy statement of 12th December 1975, which will provide the basis for future legislation on pilotage.

exports fob less imports cif—are as follows:

of the world in 1970, 1975 and 1976 to the latest available date.

Mr. Meacher

Crude trade balances—exports fob less imports cif—are shown below:

Mr. Shersby

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether his Department has reviewed the estimate of the annual cost of the proposed Central Pilotage Board contained in the SCOP report; and how any new estimate was arrived at.

Mr. Clinton Davis

The SCOP report contained no estimate of the annual cost of the proposed Central Pilotage Board. As stated in the reply to the hon. Member for Cirencester and Tewkesbury (Mr. Ridley) on 26th April, we estimate the expenditure to be of the order of £200,000 financed from pilotage dues. This estimate is based on a staff of not more than 20 people.