§ MR. SEALE-HAYNE (Devon, Ashburton)asked the Secretary to the Board of Trade, Whether, in consequence of a memorial to the Board of Trade from the principal inhabitants and tradesmen of Dartmouth and the neighbourhood, complaining, amongst other things, that the only railway station accommodation, being a small pontoon, "was wholly insufficient for the traffic, and extremely dangerous in use, especially upon public occasions, such as regattas, &c," Colonel Rich, having inspected the said station or pontoon as instructed by the Board of Trade, reported on the 20th of November 1884 "that the complaints enumerated in the memorial are substantially correct," and recommended "that the Great Western Railway Company be urged to build proper and safe station accommodation at Dartmouth;" whether, in accordance with this Report, the Board of Trade has urged that Company to provide the accommodation necessary for the safety and convenience of the public; whether the said Company has been for many years in possession of a site acquired for the purpose of such station; whether, although two years and eight months have elapsed since the date of Colonel Rich's Report, the said station or pontoon remains without alteration or improvement in the same dangerous state at the present time; and, whether, as the said station or pontoon was not inspected previously to the opening of the railway for public traffic, and no mention is made thereof in the Board of Trade Report of August 1864 authorising such opening, the Board of Trade will now take steps for the purpose of securing the safety and accommodation of the public during the present excursion season and approaching regatta, in 1878 accordance with the recommendation of their inspector, Colonel Rich?
§ THE SECRETARY (Baron HENRY DE WORMS) (Liverpool, East Toxteth)The facts are correctly set out in the first two paragraphs of the hon. Member's Question. The Board of Trade have no authority to give any directions to the Company with reference to the accommodation to be provided. They have, however, communicated again with the Company, who are anxious to arrive at a settlement of the matter, and who state that it is hoped that at a meeting of all parties interested, which is arranged for the 9th or 12th August, all questions at issue may be disposed of.