§ Mr. GRANT(by private Notice) asked the Minister of Transport whether a strike is threatened during the Easter vacation by the Transport Workers' Union, and the tramway proprietors are unable to meet the numerous demands for increases of wages until the Government sanctions an increase of fares. Will the Government be able to authorise such an increase of fares as will enable the proprietors to meet the workers' demands?
§ Sir E. GEDDESI only received notice of this question during Question time on the Bench, but I will answer it as well as I can. I am aware that a strike has been threatened by the Transport Workers during the Easter vacation. I also am aware that the tramway proprietors, both public authorities and companies, claim, and I believe the claim can be substantiated, that they are unable to continue operating at the present cost on the present authorised revenue. The Government has at present no authority from Parliament to increase the charging powers of the undertakings owned by public authorities to an extent which will be adequatae to meet this claim. There is power under the Ministry of Transport Act to raise charges inter alia beyond the statutory charges in the case of company-owned undertakings (but it is obviously impossible to meet the situation by increasing the company-owned charging powers and not increasing the public authority-owned tramway powers so that notice is being given to-morrow to introduce a Bill which will deal with the matter. As to when effect can be given to it, that will depend when we get power to deal with it in the House.
§ Mr. BILLINGAre we to understand that the right hon. Gentleman has an undertaking that, pending the introduction of the Bill, those responsible will hold their hand and there will be no strike?
§ Sir E. GEDDESI have no such undertaking at all, but I hope, in the belief that the House will pass an adequate measure, the authorities and the companies may be able, through bankers or otherwise, to obtain sufficient funds to meet the men's demands in so far as they are found to be reasonable by the appropriate machinery.
§ Mr. BILLINGWill they be informed and asked for an undertaking that they will hold their hands for the Easter holidays?
§ Sir E. GEDDESI shall certainly inform them of what is being done. I think they know it already. As for getting an undertaking I propose to introduce the measure and then to endeavour to arrange with the men on the one side and the employers on the other to see that the matter should be dealt with in a reasonable way.