§ MR. T. LOUGH (Islington, W.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether steps have yet been taken to carry out the following recommendations of the Departmental Committee on Cabs: the transfer of the cab shelters to the care of some local authority; the abolition of the carriage tax of 15s., and the reduction, so far as possible, of the licence duty of 42s. in the Metropolis; the extension of the cab radius; the introduction of Bills on "bilking," and the liability of proprietors; and to abolish the railway privilege system?
§ SIR MATTHEW WHITE RIDLEYAs regards the licence fee, the hon. Member is aware that the Committee only recommended a reduction in the event of the revenue arising from these fees exceeding the expenditure incurred in the administration of the Public Carriage Acts. The augmentation, however, of the inspecting staff and the other alterations which have been made in consequence of the recommendations of the Committee have involved an additional annual expenditure amounting to several thousand pounds, and I do not anticipate any balance which would allow an appreciable reduction in the amount of the licence fee. With regard to the privilege system, the decision which I have arrived at, after conferring with the railway managers, has already been announced. In the absence of any workable proposal which would insure the same conveniences and good order as the present system I am not prepared to take any steps. I hope to introduce a Bill on the subject of "bilking," and I am considering whether it will be possible to deal with the question of proprietors' liability. The existing cab shelters are the property of a voluntary society, and their transfer to a local authority does not appear to me a matter in which I can properly interfere. I do not propose at present to touch the question of the extension of the radius or the abolition of the carriage-tax.
§ MR. LOUGHinquired whether, in reference to the railway privilege cab system, the right hon. Gentleman would carry out the arrangements promised by 702 the late Home Secretary, viz., to invite a deputation of railway managers to meet a deputation to be named by the right hon. Gentleman, with a view to see whether they could settle this difficult question so as to avoid any trouble.
§ SIR MATTHEW WHITE RIDLEYsaid, he would be glad to encourage any such conference as the hon. Gentleman suggested. He had endeavoured to do it in conference with the railway managers, and it was because he had hitherto failed to find a workable proposal that he had given the answer he had made. If any proposal were made which would appear to result in any practical remedy he should be glad to give it his assistance. He was not prepared to give any legal definition of "bilking," but with reference to cabs it was understood to mean that a cab was engaged and the fare by some means or other evaded the proper payment. [Laughter.]