TRAMWAY, ETC. (STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS). (Hansard, 24 April 1918)

§ Lord E. TALBOT (Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury)
I beg to move, "That a Select Committee be appointed to consider and report whether it is expedient that some provision should be made for the temporary modification of statutory requirements with regard to the Charges for the conveyance of traffic on Tramways and Light Railways constructed wholly or mainly on public roads, in the case of undertakings whose financial circumstances have been injuriously affected by causes arising out of the War; and, if so, on what terms and conditions, and whether by private Bill or by general legislation."

§ Mr. BOOTH
Are we to have any more of these Committees? I do not see how this is to be defended unless there is some idea of completing the process. Will there be a Committee appointed, for instance, to deal with electrical undertakings, or with any similar subject? It seems to me that if there are to be any others we should be told now, and I would like to ask whether there is any intention to put any other Resolution on the Paper, because, in my opinion, they should be all taken together.

§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of TRADE (Sir A. Stanley)
I think there is a very particular reason why the terms of reference to the Committee appointed to deal with gas charges were not framed so as to include tramway charges. They are quite separate and distinct propositions. It had been represented to me for a considerable time that there is a real need for dealing immediately with the gas 1086 question, and that matter had to be decided before the tramway question was raised. This came up later, after I had received a deputation from representatives of a very considerable number of tramway undertakings in the country, both municipal and company, who put to me that owing to the enormous rise in wages and the very heavy increase of charges for material they had a real case for asking for consideration with respect to the charges they were making to the public. I did not feel I could take upon myself the responsibility of determining the question, particularly in view of the fact that I had previously given an undertaking to this House that the Board of Trade would not deal with the question of increased tramway fares without first referring it to this House. It is because of that pledge that I ask this House to agree to the appointment of this Select Committee to investigate this question and determine whether or not there is ground for an increase in these tramway charges. As to whether there will be any need for dealing with other public utility undertakings later on, I am not prepared to say at this moment. I think we had better wait and see what recommendations are made both by the Committee on Gas and by this particular Committee. There is outstanding a question about the charges of electricity undertakings, and also with regard to water companies, but they are a very small number, and they can be dealt with later on. I think at the moment it would be better, and perhaps expedite matters, to limit the procedure to these two Committees at this particular moment.

§ Mr. BOOTH
I have no objection to this hon. Member, but I wish to point out that if a number of Committees are to be appointed it will mean that a large number of business men in this House will have their time occupied at great length in dealing with what is practically one problem, and I would suggest that if other Committees are set up it would be as well to reappoint the Committee now being elected, so that they may deal with all the remaining questions. It will save the time of hon. Members, because the issue involved in all these Committees is practically the same.