§ 63. Mr. BENJAMIN SMITHasked Minister of Transport the number of meetings held by the Transport Advisory Council to deal with the question of the co-ordination of transport; and when a report may be expected from the council on this matter?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAThe Transport Advisory Council was established to advise the Minister, and it would be prejudicial to a proper relationship if I were to give public accounts of their proceedings.
§ Mr. SMITHUnder Section 46 of the Act of 1933 is there not a duty imposed on this Advisory Council to advise the Minister on the co-ordination of traffic? If so, what meetings have been held, what advice has been tendered, and when will the report be published?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAI have Section 46 of the Act before me. The council was established for the purpose of advising the Minister in connection with the discharge by him of his functions, and I hope the hon. Member will appreciate that it is not usual to try to draw a distinction between a Minister and his advisers. Those gentlemen are giving their services voluntarily, and have had a considerable number of meetings, but they attend those meetings upon the understanding that the proceedings are private, and are in the nature of advice to myself.
§ Mr. SMITHThe hon. Gentleman will know, I hope, that I do not wish to draw any invidious distinction between a voluntary council and the duty imposed on a Minister, but what I have asked is whether, in fact, this council has considered this subject and reported to him, and whether he will inform the House of the nature of the reports?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAThere is nothing I desire to conceal from the hon. Member. The council have met on many occasions, but I do not wish to institute a practice of rendering accounts of their proceedings or of the number of meetings they have held.