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Access to Ports is Vital Matter
Page 43
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THE importance of road and rail access to the ports was stressed by Lord Lindgren when the Upper House discussed—and gave a second reading to— the Harbours Bill.
Lord Lindgren complained that there was nothing in the Rochdale Report— it was not within the terms of reference of the Committee—and there had been no statement by the Government about access to the ports.
"If you ever get up early in the morning, just go down to the London docks and see the scramble there, with miles of lorries having arrived at five o'clock at night, and not being able to discharge or be loaded until next morning ", he said.
"If we are to have really efficient ports, then road and rail access must be dealt with as well. It is no good implementing Beeching at the same time as implementing the Rochdale Report. One is dismantling facilities, the other is calling for their provision. You can make the most efficient ports for the handling of goods and you can give provision for what is perhaps the most serious lack in our ports, additional dry dock facilities.
"But unless you deal with the problem of the approach to the docks by road and rail, then you will not get the fullest effect from the Bill."
He was answered at once by Lord Chesham, Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, who said he did not want to make a lot of the point, but he would like to take up Lord Lindgren's remarks.
Lord Lindgren had said that the question of road and rail access had never been mentioned in any context. But it was written into the Bill, said Lord Chesharn, and he asked Lord Lindgren to look at the relevant clause.