§ Dr. GodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the overall cost of the dredging of the channel of the River Clyde in each of the past eight years; which organisation is responsible for the maintenance of the channel; which organisations make an annual financial contribution to the dredging operations; and if he will make a statement.
§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton[holding answer 1 April 1993]: The gross costs incurred by the Clyde Port Authority in dredging the River Clyde in each of the past eight years were as follows:
£ million 1984 918,000 1985 931,000 1986 884,000 1987 1,012,000 1988 1,043,000 1989 1,068,000 1990 1,209,000 1991 1,112,000 Clydeport Ltd., as successor to the former Clyde Port Authority, has a permissive power to dredge the river channel to the extent that it is considered necessary for the maintenance and improvement of the port, but has no statutory duty to dredge.
Strathclyde regional council, Glasgow district council, Yarrow Shipbuilders and Kvaerner Govan have all made 592W contributions towards the cost of dredging in recent years. It remains the Government's policy that port authorities, including Clydeport Ltd. should manage their businesses on a commercial basis and that the costs of dredging should be met by charges to the users of ports, or by other parties who benefit from the dredging.