HC Deb 05 April 1944 vol 398 cc1993-6
32 and 33 Captain Strickland

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport (1) how many loaded and unloaded miles, respectively, were travelled by road vehicle 5/S/10/50 during the three weeks ended 24th March last; what total load was carried during that period; what was the total cost of wages, hire, petrol, mileage rate, tax, insurance and tyres, excluding administrative costs, workmen's compensation, goods in transit, insurance and overheads; and how this cost is borne;

(2) why road vehicle 5/S/10/51 during the week ended 24th March last travelled 389 loaded and 419 empty miles under the instructions of his Department; whether he is aware that it carried during that week only 18 tons of potatoes at a total cost, exclusive of administrative charges and overheads, of £38 18s. 6d., or an average cost of 2 2S. 9d. per ton; and how this compares with pre-control costs.

Mr. Noel-Baker

As the answer is rather long and contains a number of figures, I will, if the hon. and gallant Member sees no objection, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Captain Strickland

Will my hon. Friend circulate at the same time in the OFFICIAL REPORT a detailed statement of the cost on which he bases his estimate?

Mr. Noel-Baker

I will circulate answer that I have prepared to the Questions which my hon. and gallant Friend put down. If he wants more information, perhaps he will put down another question.

Sir Joseph Lamb

Can my hon. Friend say if the figures which are included in Question No. 33 are substantially correct?

Mr. Noel-Baker

On vehicle 51, my hon. Friend will realise that this was traffic which we were told we must take, and on vehicle 51 the cost was rather less than it would have been at the trip rates for hiring vehicles which were recently agreed by the industry to be reasonable. On vehicle 50 the cost was 23s. 6d. per ton as against a cost of 25s. a ton, which would have been the commercial rate in favourable conditions.

Mr. Gallacher

Cannot the Minister arrange for these questions to be put down as one question to save labour and waste of paper?

Following is the answer:

For some time the road haulage organisation have, at the request of the Ministry of Food, been moving large quantities of potatoes from Lincolnshire to London by road. The two lorries 5/S/10/50 and 51 have, with others, been regularly engaged in carrying this traffic. The organisation were asked to regard the traffic as urgent; very few outward loads were available. In such circumstances it is most improbable that any commercial haulier would have accepted the loads carried by lorry No. 51 at any ordinary commercial rate; at the hiring rates recently agreed by the industry to be reasonable, the charge would have been £43 10s. 0d. Lorry No. 50 travelled 1,018 miles loaded and 843 empty. Besides potatoes, it also carried two loads of cement. Allowing for this, and on the basis suggested by my hon. and gallant Friend, the cost of moving the potatoes was 23s. 6d. a ton. I understand that the commercial rate, under favourable conditions, would be 25s. a ton. The potatoes are moved on Government account; the cement is paid for by the commercial consignor.

34. Captain Strickland

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport why, under Government control of road transport, rates have increased over pre-war charges by 50 per cent. between Leeds and Glasgow and Leeds and Liverpool, by 80 per cent. Leeds to Newcastle, 84 per cent. Leeds and the Midlands, 112 per cent. Leeds to London and on some other routes as high as 162 per cent., whilst the costs for empties have also been increased by as much as 114 per cent. to 285 per cent.; and whether he will appoint regional committees of independent persons to investigate the causes of this increased cost of transport to the public.

Mr. Noel-Baker

Every unit controller in the road haulage organisation has been instructed to charge the same rates as were charged before control by the undertaking which provides his unit centre. I am informed that, in accordance with these instructions, no general increase has been made during the period of control in the rates to which my hon. and gallant Friend refers. The second part of his Question does not, therefore, arise.

Captain Strickland

Has my hon. Friend received a communication from the Leeds Chamber of Commerce with regard to this matter, giving specific figures, to which no reply beyond an acknowledgment has been sent, although this letter was in his Department in the middle of February?

Mr. Noel-Baker

I have not actually seen that document but I will certainly ask for it. If my hon. and gallant Friend has any further evidence for the allegation in his Question, I shall be very glad to see it.

Captain Strickland

Does my hon. Friend really seriously tell the House that he does not know whether any such communication has been received from the Leeds Chamber of Commerce?

Mr. Noel-Baker

I may have seen it; I would not like to say now, from memory, that I have not.

Sir Herbert Holdsworth

Would my hon. Friend agree that this scheme is the most costly and least efficient of any scheme suggested by the Government?

Mr. Noel-Baker

No, Sir, I would not agree to that. I am very glad to know that we shall soon have an opportunity of debating it, and I hope that I shall be able to show to the House that that is not so.

Mr. Mathers

Can the Minister explain why it is that we are continually having these questions, especially from the hon. and gallant Member for Coventry (Captain Strickland)—[HON. MEMBERS: "Why not?"]—throwing discredit on the road transport industry?