§ MR. WARDLE (Stockport)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade, having regard to the accident which occurred at Salisbury recently, and seeing that drivers on the London and South Western Railway are punished by reduction in pay and position for failing to keep to the scheduled time of trains, whether he proposes to take any steps, by legislation or otherwise, to prevent the continuance of this practice.
§ THE PRESIDENT OP THE BOARD OF TRADE (Mr. LLOYD-GEORGE,) Carnarvon BoroughsI am informed by the railway company in question that engine drivers who are found not to run their trains in accordance with schedule times are removed to other trains and that this 234 may sometimes involve reduction of pay. The company state that such cases are rare, and that men are so removed only when they are found incompetent for the post to which they have been assigned, I and unable to maintain the time which is easily kept by other drivers It is added that drivers who improperly run faster than schedule time are similarly dealt with. Pending receipt of the Report of the inspector appointed to inquire into the Salisbury accident, I am not in a position to say what steps, if any, are desirable on the part of the Board of Trade.
§ MR. WARDLECan the right hon. Gentleman say what the state of mind of a driver must be if he is fined both for not keeping time and for attempting to make it up?
§ MR. SPEAKERthe right hon. Gentleman can have no knowledge of that.