HC Deb 21 July 1919 vol 118 c879
20. Major NALL

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the pre-war system of allocating railway revenue and expenses through the Railway Clearing House to the companies respectively concerned has been resumed; and, if not, what system of arriving at exact earnings and expenses with a view to ascertaining economy or extravagance on the part of individual companies is in force?

Sir A. GEDDES

The system under which the Railway Clearing House dealt with the division between railway companies of receipts from through traffic has not been resumed. I agree that this renders precise accounting between companies impossible, but I am advised that the slight lack of precision does not affect the question of ascertaining the expenditure of the companies under Government control, which is reviewed on the audit of the companies' accounts.