HC Deb 13 May 1931 vol 252 cc1182-3
40. Sir NICHOLAS GRATTAN-DOYLE

asked the Minister of Transport whether he can make any statement as to the Government's policy in regard to the recommendations of the Committee on Main Line Railway Electrification?

Mr. HERBERT MORRISON

I have asked the principal railway companies to consider the report referred to, and to furnish me with their observations upon it as soon as they can.

41. Sir N. GRATTAN-DOYLE

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has any information as to the extent to which foreign plant and materials have been used on recent schemes of railway electrification; and whether it is a condition of the grant of State assistance to any scheme that all the plant and material used must be British?

Mr. MORRISON

As the answer is rather long, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL RKPORT.

Following is the, answer:

The conditions of Grant under Part I of the Development (Loan Guarantees and Grants) Act, 1929, require that: All plant, machinery and materials required to be purchased by the company in connection with the assisted works (including any replacement of stores drawn from stock) to be purchased in the United Kingdom at prices which are fair and reasonable having regard to all the circumstances; and all materials required so far as practicable to be of United Kingdom origin and all manufactured articles to be wholly manufactured in the United Kingdom, subject to such exceptions as the committee may approve beforehand as necessary or desirable in any particular case having regard to all the circumstances including the comparative prices of British and foreign articles. The company shall insert a like condition in respect of all contracts placed by them in connection with the works and shall take all reasonable steps to secure its observance.

One railway company, which received a grant for an electrification scheme, reported that certain expenditure, representing less than one-tenth of 1 per cent. of the whole cost, would necessarily be incurred outside the United Kingdom, and were notified that that expenditure would not rank for grant.

I have no official information as to the details of expenditure on railway electrification schemes which have not received grants of State assistance.