§ MR. MARKHAMI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, seeing that Clause 13 of the Police Regulations for granting of licences to motor omnibuses provides that every omnibus must be constructed so that no undue noise or vibration is caused, he will say why omnibuses are permitted on the streets shaking the houses by which they pass and causing a nuisance to the public.
§ *MR. HERBERT SAMUELEvery care is exercised to ensure that only properly constructed omnibuses are licensed, and when the police find any that, through wear and tear, have become noisy, these are ordered off the streets. The hon. Member is no doubt aware that the Report of the Select Committee of 1906 drew attention to the fact that the noise and vibration of motor vehicles may be due to causes other than faulty construction. As the former part of my Answer has been met with some question, perhaps I may be allowed to say that in the year 1907, motor omnibuses were 1214 warned off the streets no less than 4,862 times, and as there are only 1,000 omnibuses, that gives an average of nearly five times each, which does not seem to show laxity on the part of the police.
§ MR. MARKHAMMay I ask whether it does not show that these motor omnibuses ought to have been warned off ten times?
§ [No Answer was returned.]
§ *SIR HENRY CRAIK (Glasgow and Aberdeen Universities)Cannot we have a Return showing the condition of these omnibuses?
§ *MR. HERBERT SAMUELI do not think that would be a proper subject for a Parliamentary Return.