HC Deb 10 February 1893 vol 8 cc1044-5
MR. STRACHEY (Somerset, S.)

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the decision of the and land Railway Company to go back to the old rates for the carriage of milk until the 30th of June next pending a further inquiry, he would ask the Great Western and South Western Railway Companies to do the same?

MR. MUNDELLA

Yes, Sir; the London and South Western Railway Company have for the present decided to charge the old rates for the carriage of milk, and will apply the same as from January 1st. I have not received any such assurances from the Great Western Railway Company, but the matter is being pressed upon their attention.

SIR J. WHITEHEAD (Leicester)

Does the decision of the Midland Railway Company to go back to the old rates for the carriage of milk, and the decision of the South Western Railway Company in the same direction, apply to all stations on each line?

MR. MUNDELLA

The Midland and South Western Railway Companies have decided to supply all stations under their control, and in the case of the other stations they are in negotiation with other companies.

SIR J. WHITEHEAD

In other words, the new rates will not apply to competing stations.

MR. MUNDELLA

They will apply to nearly all stations.

MR. THOMAS HENRY BOLTON (St. Pancras, N.)

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether, with regard to railway rates, he will direct a record to be kept of all cases of reduced charges procured through the intervention or with the co-operation of the Board of Trade of coming to the knowledge of that Board, and have same tabulated in such a form that the information may be embodied in a Parliamentary Paper, available for the use of traders, so that they may learn the reductions made in particular cases with a view to getting like reductions in similar cases?

MR. MUNDELLA

A very considerable proportion of the complaints of increases in rates which have reached the Board of Trade are in general terms, and it would not be possible to keep such a record as that referred to by the hon. Member. We are, as far as we are able, keeping a record of our negotiations with the companies.