To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the Government's policy on the recommendation on financial inducements to freight traffic to transfer from roads to ferries, proposed in paragraph 103 of the Scottish Affairs Committee's first report, HC 217, on "Scotland's Transport Links with Europe".

A large number of United Kingdom ports already fall within the definition of inland waterways and are therefore within the scope of the freight facilities grants scheme. The Government will be responding to the report's recommendations in due course.