§ SIR F. CHANNING (Northamptonshire, E.)To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether the conference of representatives of the Board, the railways companies, the traders, and the travelling public, as initiated by his predecessor, will continue the inquiry into and deliberations upon the question of railway rates and facilities referred to them; whether the President intends to preside over this conference; when the proceedings are expected to be completed; whether it is intended that the conference shall put their conlcusions into the form 1594 of a Report with recommendations; and whether this Report, together with minutes of evidence taken or inquiries conducted, will be laid before Parliament.
(Answered by Mr. Churchill.) The reply to the first two paragraphs of my hon. friend's Question is in the affirmative, but I cannot yet tell when the proceedings may be completed nor forecast the form and scope of any Report which may be made for presentation to Parliament.