§ MR. HAZELLI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether the Board is favourably considering and approving the Orders of the Light Railway Commissioners for the construction of tramways in purely urban districts under the Light Railways Act of 1896, which was intended for the relief of agricultural districts; whether the fact has been considered that the powers of purchase by local authorities under this Act are not nearly so favourable to the public as the powers of purchase under the Tramways Act of 1870; whether, in particular, his attention has been called to 566 a scheme promoted by the Metropolitan Tramways and Omnibus Company, Limited, for the construction of electric tramways in the purely urban districts of North London, and in connection with the North Metropolitan tramway system under the Light Railways Act of 1896; and whether the Light Railways Commissioners propose to sanction such a scheme?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Mr. C. T. RITCHIE, Croydon)There is nothing in the Light Railways Act to prevent the consideration of light railway schemes in urban districts. The Light Railways Commissioners and the Board of Trade have ample powers to impose on promoters, as a condition precedent to entertaining an application, powers of purchase as large as those denned in the Tramways Act of 1870. The Light Railways Commissioners have the scheme referred to under consideration, but as they have an independent jurisdiction, I am not in a position to say what steps they will take with regard to it.