§ MR. MOSS (Denbighshire, E.)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether it is the practice of his Department to refuse any application made by the public to inspect the plans and sections of railways deposited with the Board of Trade unless the railway company concurs in such application; and whether in future, in order to avoid the expense of a special survey involved by such refusal, he will allow the same to be inspected for the purpose of valuation by persons duly authorised to do so on behalf of public representative bodies.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Mr. RITCHIE,) CroydonThe plans are deposited with the Board of Trade for Departmental, use and not for the purposes of public inspection. Under the Standing Orders plans are deposited at certain places where they may be seen on payment of the prescribed fee. The Board of Trade have no machinery for the public exhibition of the plans deposited with them, and I regret that I cannot meet the wishes of the hon. Member with regard to this matter.