§ 29. Sir I. Alberyasked the Home Secretary whether any steps are being taken to put the requisition of motor vehicles on to a more efficient and fairer basis, and to remedy the many unnecessary cases of hardship which have been created?
§ The Minister of Transport (Captain Wallace)I have been asked to reply. Vehicles for the purposes of Civil Defence have been for the most part secured by voluntary arrangements made in peace-time, and recorded with the traffic commissioners. Requisitioning has been resorted to only where such arrangements could not be made. In either case, care has been taken to avoid hardship so far as possible. If my hon. Friend has any particular case in mind where requisitioning has been made on what appears to be an unfair basis, I shall be glad to look into it if he will give me the necessary particulars. Any question regarding the impressment of vehicles for the armed forces should be addressed to the appropriate Minister.
§ Mr. MacquistenDoes the right hon. Gentleman not realise the heavy burden which has been thrown on to the Ministry 1044 of Transport through its policy of choking road transport? There would have been 500,000 more vehicles if the Ministry had not choked road transport for the benefit of the railways.