§ 4. Mr. PERRINGasked the President of the Board of Trade the total receipts of the railways under Government control for the years 1913, 1917, and 1918; the total tonnage of goods, for war purposes and otherwise, carried over the controlled railways free of charge in the years 1913, 1917, and 1918; and the approximate money value in receipts of the tonnage carried in goods over the controlled railways free of charge, for war and other purposes, if the goods had been paid for at the current railway rates in the years 1913, 1917, and 1918?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANI would refer the hon. Gentleman to the replies on this subject given on the 18th and 19th February to the hon. Member for the Hornsey Division of Middlesex, and on the 24th February to the hon. Baronet the Member for East Ham North, of which I am sending him copies. I may point out, however, that the present Government control of railways did not begin until the outbreak of war, and that full information in regard to railway working in 1913 is given in the published Railway Returns for that year [Command Paper 8038].