MR. CATHCART WASONI beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been drawn to the finding of the jury at an inquest held at Dorking, on 4th July, on the body of a cyclist killed by a motor car, to the effect that the under-carriages of motor cars were too near the ground; and whether, in the interests of public safety, he will take the point into consideration in any future legislation.
§ MR. JOHN BURNSMy hon. friend has sent me a report of the inquest in the case of this sad accident. I will take note of his suggestion, which is not altogether a new one, though I am not at 411 present sanguine that it will be possible to adopt it.
§ *MR. HAROLD COXCan my right hon. friend give any estimate of how many more people must be killed before His Majesty's Government see their way to take action?
§ *MR. JOHN BURNSMy hon. friend is unaware of the extent to which my right hon. friend the Home Secretary and myself, in conjunction with the local authorities throughout the country, have endeavoured to put a stop to reckless driving of motor cars, and I say this with all respect, that in the interests of the public I am rather afraid to approach the Houses of Parliament with a view to amending the Motor Car Act for fear that the maximum limit would be knocked out altogether.
MR. CATHCART WASONWill the right hon. Gentleman consider whether it would not be better to do away with the maximum speed limit than to continue the present farcical administration of the Act?
§ *MR. JOHN BURNSNo; but my view is that if the local authorities and the magistrates rigorously enforced Section 1, any person, whatever the speed, might be fined and imprisoned in certain circumstances, and this would be better than any maximum limit I have yet heard suggested.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLIs the right hon. Gentleman aware——
§ *MR. SPEAKERThis discussion should take place in Committee of Supply.