§ Sir Bernard Braineasked the Secretary of State for Transport if it is his intention to make a decision on reorganising the London pilotage district and its byelaws before dealing with the recommendations of the Samuel Montagu report on the scale and cost of a severance scheme for the pilots of the United Kingdom in general; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. David MitchellProgress on pilotage byelaws in London and elsewhere largely depends on the introduction of a compensation scheme that will induce sufficient pilots to surrender their licences. The Pilotage Commission, with the support of Samuel Montagu, at my request has been seeking for some time to negotiate the terms of such a scheme. This has proved a most difficult task but the commission believes it may still be possible for the parties concerned to reach agreement. In that event I would expect to be able to reach early conclusions about the form of model byelaws that would be of general application. It would then be for pilotage authorities (or other interested parties, as the law provides) to seek to promote such changes as they saw fit in each district; these drafts would be considered in the statutorily prescribed way and, subject to such amendments as were made, would take lawful effect when endorsed by my right hon. Friend.
I understand that various proposals for the reorganisation of the London pilotage district have been discussed but none has yet been put to my right hon. Friend. Under the law he can proceed in such a matter only on the application of the Pilotage Commission or of other interested parties.