§ MR. LOUGHI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been drawn to the old notice of fines posted on the District Railway, and to the new-notice which has recently been posted on the same line, headed Truck Act, 1896; whether he is aware that in the old list for the first and second offences it is stated that only a caution would be given, while in the new list it says that a fine is to be inflicted in all cases; and that the highest fine stated in. the old list did not exceed 2s., while the lowest fine posted under the new Truck Act is 5s., ranging up to 20s.; also, that this latter new scale of fines has been adopted by all the leading railway companies; and, if so, whether he can do anything to secure its abolition?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Sir MATTHEW WHITE RIDLEY,) Lancashire, BlackpoolI have seen these two notices, with copies of which the hon. Member has been good enough to supply me. The new one is that adopted by several of the leading railway companies, but not by all of them; the fines specified in it are, I am advised, illegal, being in contravention of the provisions of the Truck Act of last year—["hear, hear!"]—and I am communicating with the companies on the subject.