§ MR. SLACK (Hertfordshire, St. Albans)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether any applications under Section 9 of the Motor-Car Act, 1903, made by various local authorities to the Local Government Board to issue regulations limiting the speed of motor-cars within the areas, or parts of the areas, of such local authorities to a speed not exceeding ten miles an hour, have not yet been finally dealt with; and, if so, 1393 whether he will give the names of such local authorities, and the dates when their respective applications were received by the Board.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. GERALD BALFOUR, Leeds, Central)Three applications under Section 9 of the Motor-Car Act, 1903, are now before the Local Government Board, made respectively by the Denbighshire County Council on the 16th of this month, by the Town Council of Guildford on March 7th last, and by the Town Council of Ealing. The last was originally made in October, 1903, and after the lapse of many months, during which the matter rested with the town council, has recently been revived. In twelve other cases applications have been made and not formally withdrawn, but in each of these cases it is for the local authorities concerned to take the next step, and as for some months no Communication has been received from them, it is assumed that the applications are either temporarily or permanently abandoned.
§ MR. SLACKDoes the right hon. Gentleman include St. Albans in the list of twelve? That city has not withdrawn its application, which has been urgently pressed.
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURI cannot answer that without notice, but so far as I am aware, whenever an application remains suspended, it is because the local authority has not replied to the communication from the Local Government Board.
MR. GIBSON BOWLES (Lynn Regis)Will the right hon. Gentleman consider the propriety of allowing local authorities to settle these matters for themselves? The Local Government Board must be unacquainted with every locality.
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURIn doubtful cases there is an inquiry.
§ SIR HENRY FOWLER (Wolverhampton, E.)What does the right hon. Gentleman mean by the next step? I understand the Local Government Board sends down an inspector to hold 1394 an inquiry, that he reports to the Local Government Board, who communicate the report to the local authority. What is the next step to be taken?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURI do not think any of these cases have reached that stage. What has happened has been that application has been made and notice of objection received. Those objections have been communicated to the local authorities and no reply has been received from them. The stage of public inquiry has not been reached.
§ MR. SLACKWas not a letter written at the instance of the right hon. Gentleman's predecessor on June 3rd, 1904, to the town clerk of St. Albans in which it says—