§ 52. Mr. Sorensenasked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that the founder of the Children's Safety Crusade has come to an arrangement with the National Safety First Association, whereby the campaign to which the Government have made a grant of £5,000 will be devoted solely to propaganda among children; and what action does he propose 1749 to take in view of his undertaking that the campaign should be directed to other road-users as well as to children?
§ Mr. Hore-BelishaI understand that a scheme of co-operation between the Association and the Crusade gives effect to the activities described in my previous reply.
§ Mr. SorensenIs the right hon. Gentleman not aware that it was previously stated that the grant of £5,000 would be used for other purposes as well as that of educating children, and if now in fact it is stated, as it is, that the money is being used exclusively for children, does that not seem to be a departure from the original understanding or guarantee?
§ Mr. Hore-BelishaNo. What I said was that the Committee, on which my own Department is represented, would direct the expenditure, which will include the purpose of impressing upon other road users their responsibilities towards children. An agreement has been reached whereby the Crusade will carry out the work among children and the Association will work among adults, so that both sides of the question are safeguarded.
§ Mr. SorensenDoes not the right hon. Gentleman agree that in fact the understanding was reached that this money would not be used exclusively for the education of children in road safety, and does he not recognise that this stipulation is not being carried out?
§ Mr. Hore-BelishaIf the hon. Member studies my reply, I think he will see that what I have said is true.
§ 54. Commander Locker-Lampsonasked the Minister of Transport whether his attention has been called to accidents owing to loosely filled-in roads after road excavations by contractors; and whether he will make provision for removing such causes of accidents?
§ Mr. Hore-BelishaIn all such cases within their knowledge my divisional road engineers are instructed to make representations to the highway authority concerned.
§ 56. Mr. Thorneasked the Minister of Transport whether he can give the House any information in connection with road accidents in Germany; whether the percentage is more or less than in the United 1750 Kingdom; and whether he can give the House any information about the road construction in Germany as compared with road construction in this country?
§ Mr. Hore-BelishaGerman statistics in my possession indicate that 8,509 persons were killed and 171,020 were injured in road accidents in Germany during the 12 months ended 30th September, 1936. During the same period 6,416 persons were killed and 225,595 injured in road accidents in Great Britain, but I am unable to say whether the two sets of figures were compiled on a comparable basis.
§ Mr. ThorneWhat about the latter part of the question?
§ Mr. Hore-BelishaIf the hon. Member will specify what particulars he requires, I shall be most happy to supply them, but I cannot make a long statement about road construction in answer to a question.
§ Mr. ThorneAll that I wanted to find out was whether road construction in Germany is better than it is here, and whether we can learn anything at all from Germany.
§ Mr. Hore-BelishaGenerally we can learn something from everybody, just as everybody can learn something from us.