§ MR. MARKHAM (Nottinghamshire, Mansfield)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, seeing that Clause 23 of the Police Regulations provides that no smoke must be projected from the exhaust or from any other part of a motor omnibus, and that the Regulation further provides that this condition will be insisted upon at all times, he will say whether the Commissioner of Police has any knowledge that any motor omnibus emits petrol smoke or stink, licensed under Clause 23 of the Police Regulations.
§ MR. HERBERT SAMUELYes, Sir. As my right hon. friend has stated in reply to previous Questions, the Commissioner of Police has taken action in a number of such cases, and has ordered the offending vehicles off the streets until their defects are remedied.
§ MR. MARKHAMAm I to understand that there are no omnibuses on the streets at the present time emitting smoke or smell?
§ MR. HERBERT SAMUELI do not know whether there are any that have not been discovered. An omnibus which is originally innocent may develop defects.
§ MR. MORRELL (Oxfordshire, Henley)How soon can they go on the roads again?
§ MR. HERBERT SAMUELAs soon as the defect is remedied. I may point out that last year the number ordered off the streets for this reason was 183.
§ MR. MARKHAMWill the hon. gentleman order off the streets all omnibuses against which complaints are brought to the notice of the Commissioner of Police?
§ MR. HERBERT SAMUELNo doubt the Commissioner of Police will be glad 1404 to give attention to any information on the subject.