§ Mr. LARDNERasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the through goods and parcels traffic from Ireland to England handled by the Great Western Railway and the Great Southern and Western Railway, viâ Fishguard, is cleared in the Railway Clearing House, London, although passenger receipts on these lines are dealt with in the Irish Railway Clearing House in Dublin; and whether, seeing that steamship companies are by Act of Parliament debarred from being members of the London Clearing House, whilst there is nothing to prevent them belonging to the Irish Railway Clearing House, he would take steps, by legislation or otherwise, to compel these companies and others following a similar practice to deal with this trans-Channel traffic from Ireland to England in the Irish Clearing House?
Mr. BUXTONThe arrangements made among Railway Companies for clearing their traffic are not within the jurisdiction of the Board of Trade, and as at present advised I do not think I can usefully take any action in the matter.