§ 25. Mr. FORRESTasked the Minister of Transport whether he proposes to include representatives of the distributing trades among the four members of the public who will sit on the Railway Advisory Committee?
35. Colonel NEWMANasked whether it is intended that the interests of the travelling public are to be represented on the proposed National Wages Board by the Co-operative Union; whether a definite alliance exists for political and economic questions between the trades union and co-operative movements; whether it is intended that the four representatives of users of railways shall consist of the allied trades union and co-operative interest and representatives of commerce only; and will he say why representation has been denied to the travelling public?
§ Mr. NEALFour representatives of the users of the railways are to be included in this board as my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport explained in answer to a question on Monday last. They are to be nominated respectively by the Parliamentary Committee of the Trades Union Congress, the Co-operative Union, the Association of Chambers of Commerce, and the Federation of British Industries.
The first two bodies may, I think, be taken as representing the relatively large number of railway users in the less wealthy classes of the community, and the other two bodies, who will nominate after consultation with other large organisations, as representing other classes who are 11 smaller in number, but pay a relatively high proportion of railway charges. The composition of the board has been agreed with the railway companies and the men's unions, and the Minister does not see his way to enlarge it.