§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for Transport if, when he gives a substantive reply to written questions 54–57 of 30 March, he will also provide an estimate of the weekly cost to the Port of London Authority of maintaining, without employment, 100 port registered workers who were former lightermen.
256W
§ Mr. FowlerI understand from the Port of London Authority that the average weekly cost to it of employing 100 lightermen for whom there was no work would be approximately £14,000, but of course the special supplementary severance scheme I approved includes lightermen and applies until the end of April. I replied to the hon. Member's previous questions on 31 March.