§ MR. LEVY (Leicestershire, Loughborough)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the Joint Claims Committee of the English and Welsh railway companies has recently issued notices to some packed parcels carriers and parcels agents, threatening them that, if they pay claims upon parcels consigned for conveyance by passenger train at owner's risk without the authority of the railway companies, the arrangement under which the fee for collection of parcels is allowed will be cancelled; whether he is aware that it is the invariable custom of railway companies to reject all claims upon goods carried at owner's risk rates; and whether he proposes to take any steps to suppress this system of hampering trade.
§ Mr. LLOYD-GEORGEI am making inquiry with regard to the issue of any such notices as are mentioned by my hon. friend, and will inform him of the result. My information does not support the allegation that railway companies reject all claims in respect of goods carried at owner's risk. The matter is, however, dealt with by a Bill which this House has already read a second time.