§ MR. BARROW (Southwark, Bermondsey)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he can state the number of trains run daily between Charing Cross and London Bridge Stations, and vice versâ, by the South Eastern Railway Company during the months of November, December, and January last, showing the number of those that were late in arriving and the average loss of time per late train; and whether any effective steps can be taken in the interest of the public to ensure a greater degree of punctuality?
§ MR. MUNDELLAI have communicated the question of the hon. Member to the Company, and they have sent in a Return for the month of November, 1892, the details of which cannot conveniently be summarised in a reply to a question. The Company state that a staff of clerks have been continuously employed (including Sunday) to prepare this Return, and that those for December and January will be sent in as soon as possible. I shall be happy to show the hon. Member the complete Returns when received.
§ MR. BARROWWill the right hon. Gentleman answer the last part of the question, irrespective of the Return?
§ MR. MUNDELLAI should like to see the Return first, and to hear the Company's explanation. There are certain circumstances which must be taken into consideration, and one is that the traffic coming into London over the Eastern Company's system has to pass, as it were, through the neck of a bottle. Then during the three months referred to by the hon. Member fogs occur, and will naturally account for some delay.