81. Mr. HUTCHISONasked the Minister of Transport whether, for the public guidance, he proposes to collate and publish at the end of the year the detailed decisions of the different Traffic Commissioners regarding the running of motor-coach services, giving in each case the principles upon which such decisions have been reached; and whether he will, in so doing, indicate the extent to which priority of establishment counts against other essential factors?
§ Mr. PYBUSThe decisions of the Traffic Commissioners on applications for road service licences are already published in the frequent issues of their "Notices and Proceedings" and I do not think that the cost of compiling a collated statement giving detailed information on the lines suggested by my hon. Friend would be justified. An obligation is placed on the Commissioners to furnish me with an annual report upon their proceedings and I will consider the question of publishing these reports in due course. As regards the last part of the question, the Commissioners 837 are required to have regard to the extent to which the needs of any proposed route are already adequately served.
§ Mr. MARJORIBANKSIs the Minister aware that the Traffic Commissioners proceed on different principles in different parts of the country according to their own expressed doctrines? Is not such a practice undesirable, having regard to the fact that the Act was meant to introduce uniformity of principle? Will the hon. Gentleman investigate the contradictions between the decisions of the commissioners?
§ Mr. PYBUSI have no doubt that it would be possible to take the decisions of all sorts of legal bodies and persons and find that they differed in a certain degree.
§ Mr. MARJORIBANKSI am referring particularly to the differences in regard to municipal enterprise and private enterprise. The commissioners proceed on different principles in different parts of the country, and the hon. Gentleman ought to know it.
22. Mr. HUTCHISONasked the Minister of Transport how many previously existing through motor-coach services to London from the suburbs have now been prohibited under the Road Traffic Act of 1930; and whether arrangements have been made to enable passengers who now have to select other means of locomotion to make unbroken journeys from their district of residence to their business?
§ Mr. PYBUSNo complete or accurate record of previously existing services is available and the information asked for by my hon. Friend therefore cannot be given. As regards the second part of the question, the hon. Member will realise that, if undue congestion of the streets and uneconomic use of the various forms of transport are to be avoided, it is not possible to arrange unbroken journeys for passengers from all the residential areas round London to their place of business.
§ Mr. MARJORIBANKSIs the Minister aware that a great deal of unemployment is being caused to working people through the operation of restrictions under the Act? Will he inquire into the amount of unemployment which the Act 838 has caused, with a view to amending the Act? May I have an answer? Is the hon. Gentleman entirely unsympathetic with unemployment caused by his Department?