§ 34. Mr. DICKIEasked the Minister of Transport whether, in view of the necessity that railway companies should move with the times, and also in order to assist the future of civil aviation, he will re consider the decision of his predecessor and intervene with the railway companies, with a view to ensuring that equal booking facilities are made available to the public for air travel by all British air lines at all recognised agencies?
§ The MINISTER of TRANSPORT (Mr. Hore-Belisha)This would appear to be a domestic matter concerning the railway companies and their agents.
§ Mr. DICKIEIf the Minister really has no power to intervene, will he not represent to the railway companies that this dog-in-the-manger policy is quite out of keeping with the spirit of the times and urge them to think a little more of the interests of civil aviation and of the public in general.
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAI cannot quite appreciate what my hon. Friend has in mind. Of course, it is desirable to en courage civil aviation, but these are the agents of the railway companies, appointed by the railway companies to sell railway tickets, and it would be out of the question to bring pressure to bear upon the railway companies to sell aero plane tickets or motor omnibus tickets which are in competition with their own services, just as it would be out of the question to require aviation companies to sell railway tickets in competition with their services.
§ Mr. DICKIEIs it not a fact that many of these agents are general agents and that this embargo is placed upon them also?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAThere is no embargo. It is a matter of commercial agreement. If an agent wishes to enter into an agreement with a railway company to serve the interests of the railway company, it is a matter over which neither this House nor I could have any control nor one in which we could properly interfere.