§ 18. Mr. Ernest Daviesasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation how many fewer vehicles representing 36,000 tons unladen weight than the 7,750 originally proposed, it is now proposed should be retained by the British Transport Commission.
§ Mr. WatkinsonOne hundred and one, Sir, under the Commission's present proposals.
§ Mr. DaviesWhy is it that when the Bill was going through the House hon. Members were not informed that the Government had decided that the Commission was not to be allowed to retain vehicles up to the number recommended by Sir Malcolm Trustram Eve? Is it not a fact that, since the Government have decided that they shall not have licences for 7½ per cent. of the retained vehicles, and now they have whittled down the number of vehicles to be retained by a 1061 further 101, the Commission will be allowed to retain only 7,067 instead of 7,750?
§ Mr. WatkinsonThe hon. Member is looking this gift horse rather too closely in the mouth. The fact is that the Commission can still keep that number of lorries, if it wishes to do so. It is still able to do so. It will merely mean that it will have to change the tonnage of some of the lorries.