§ 12. Mr. BENNETTasked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in order to clear up the mystery which surrounds the estimated loss of £100,000,000 a year on the railways under State control, and in view of the overworked state of the Department mentioned by the Parliamentary Secretary, he will call in a com- 1638 petent accountant to advise as to what the actual loss has been under control, taking into account the cost of Government traffic?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANAs I have already stated, the Government are considering in what form the figures showing the cost of working the railways under Government control can best be published. These figures will take into account the conveyance of Government traffic. The sum mentioned in the question is not the annual loss during the control period, but the estimated deficiency for the current year.