§ 20. Mr. BRIDGEMANasked the President of the Board of Trade whether the railway companies still issue tickets below the usual price to persons wishing to travel to professional football matches?
Mr. RUNCIMANI understand that the railway companies are not in any way curtailing their usual arrangements in connection with the issue of cheap tickets.
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANIs it possible for the Government, having taken over the railways, to put a stop to this, or charge those people double and give some of the money to war funds?
Mr. RUNCIMANThe subject can be reconsidered, but I would point out that 763 any change made with reference to this one sport cannot be restricted to that alone.
§ Colonel YATEWill the Government put a tax on all those attending professional football who are not in uniform?
§ Mr. FIELDIs it not the fact that the railways are at present commandeered by the Government, who have the power to do anything they wish with regard to rates?
§ Sir G. YOUNGERMay I ask whether the railway companies, under those circumstances and in view of the arrangements that have been made, have got the same free hands with regard to rates that they have had?
Mr. RUNCIMANWe have interfered as little as possible with railway rates. The object of the arrangement, as the hon. Baronet knows, was to facilitate the transfer of troops and those connected with the combatant forces from place to place in the United Kingdom, and to provide an easy arrangement by which remuneration could be given to the railway companies for these purposes.
§ Sir F. FLANNERYrose—
§ Mr. SPEAKERIn view of the fact that we have got one hundred and forty-one questions on the Paper, I think hon. Members ought to control their thirst for information.