As I made it clear in reply to a similar parliamentary question on 1 February, 1990, the Government decided that financial assistance on a once only basis and up to an absolute limit of £500,000 loan grant and £500,000 loan should be made available to Swansea-Cork Ferries Limited for the provision of a service in 1990.
I also made it clear at the time that I fully support the maintenance of all ferry services in the interests of tourism and our exporters but that it is Government policy that access transport services should operate on a commercial basis. In those circumstances, I indicated that Swansea-Cork Ferries Limited has been informed that the Government had decided that no further Exchequer assistance would be available to the Company from 1990 onwards. There is no change in that position.