§ CAPTAIN DONELAN) (Cork County, E.I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the delays that occur at Amiens Street and Kingsbridge Stations in connection with the transit of passengers and mails between Kingstown and the Great Southern and Western system; and whether, in view of the importance of an improved connection, he will press upon the companies concerned the necessity, in the public interest, of coming to some arrangement by which these delays may be avoided.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Mr. GERALD BALFOUR, Leeds, I Central)I have been in communication for some time past with the railway companies concerned in this matter and regret that so far a satisfactory result has not been arrived at. The Board of Trade have no statutory powers to compel the companies to take action.
§ CAPTAIN DONELANIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the time gained by improving the cross channel service at a cost of £500,000 is more than lost by these discreditable delays at Amiens Street.
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURYes, Sir, and we are doing our best to remedy it.