§ MR. GARDNER (Berkshire, Wokingham)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether he has received from municipal or county councils, district councils, or other bodies or persons interested, objections to the heavy motor-car regulations; and, if so, from how many; and, in case of such objections having been received, what action does he propose to take.
§ MR. WALTER LONGSince the regulations were issued, I have received from the Board of Trade certain sugges 1478 tions for an alteration of the Order which have been submitted on behalf of some of the railway companies, and I am in communication with the Board of Trade on the subject. Besides this, the only objections that have reached me, since the issue of the regulations, have been from one county council, two metropolitan borough councils, two rural district councils, an association of jobmasters, and one private individual. These objections, so far as they have been stated, do not appear to me to be of a nature that I can entertain.
§ MR. CATHCART WASON (Orkney and Shetland)Will the House have an opportunity of discussing these Orders?
§ MR. WALTER LONGI appointed a Committee, of which the right hon. Member for Somersetshire was Chairman, to deal with this question. They took evidence from the local authorities, and on their recommendation I issued the regulations.
§ GENERAL LAURIE (Pembroke and Haverfordwest)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether he has been requested by any municipal or other local authorities to receive deputations in reference to the regulations to be issued in regard to heavy motor-cars; if so, will he state whether he has consented to receive such deputations, and the date on which they will be received: and whether he will defer the bringing into force of the proposed regulations until he has ascertained the objections of the local authorities.
§ MR. WALTER LONGThe Paddington Borough Council have recently asked me to receive a deputation on the subject of the regulations from various metropolitan borough councils. I have replied that in the first instance I shall be glad to receive the representations of the councils in writing. The regulations come into force to-morrow, and I cannot undertake to postpone their operation. A draft of them was circulated to the associations representing various classes of local authorities, and their observations were carefully considered before the regulations were issued.
§ GENERAL LAURIEAm I to understand that the regulations were circulated among the local authorities.
§ MR. WALTER LONGI did not say that. What I said was that the draft was sent to the associations representing the local authorities. As my hon. and gallant friend knows, municipalities have recognised associations to represent them, and it is our practice to send, not to the hundreds of authorities throughout the country, but to the representative body.
§ GENERAL LAURIEAm I to understand that deputations from the local authorities will still be received, and that their recommendations will be considered.
§ MR. WALTER LONGMy hon. friend is not to understand that. After I have received the representations of the councils in writing, I shall, if I think it worth their while and mine, be glad to receive a deputation, but I make no promise.