§ Mr. C. BATHURSTasked the President of the Board of Trade (1) whether and, if so, when he proposes to introduce his promised Bill to carry out the assurance given by the Government at the time of the settlement of the railway dispute; and whether, before seeking to authorise by statute increased charges for the carriage of agricultural produce, he will take steps to ascertain the effect of such legislation upon agricultural production and employment in rural districts; and (2) whether, before embodying the recommendations of the recent Committee on Railway Amalgamations and Agreements in the forthcoming Railway Bill and permitting railway companies to raise their rates within their legal maxima to the possible detriment of traders and farmers, he will consider the advisability of requiring the companies to submit to the Board their proposals for increases of rates and of referring such proposals to a Select Committee before whom all sections of the trading community, including dairy farmers and other agriculturists, will be given an opportunity of stating their case?
Mr. BUXTONI hope to be able to introduce a Railway Bill very shortly, which is intended to deal with the matters on which the Select Committee on Railway Agreements and Amalgamation made recommendations, and also to give effect to the undertaking given to the railway companies in August last. The hon. Member seems, however, to be under a misapprehension as to the effect of that undertaking, and I would refer him to the reply given to a question put by him on this subject on the 24th October last. I do not think it would be practicable or desirable to require the submission of proposals to increase particular rates to a Select Committee.