§ Mr. David PorterTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has had any recent representations from any of the former dock labour scheme ports about reintroducing a workers' registration scheme; and if he will make a statement about employment at former scheme ports.
§ Mr. McLoughlinWe have had no such representations. There have been many changes in employment practices in former dock labour scheme ports, as overmanning, restrictive practices and rigid demarcations have been eliminated and numbers employed generally reduced, making the ports more efficient. Some shippers are now using their own employees to load and unload ships. Some former stevedoring firms have closed down, but some new ones have been started up.