HC Deb 02 February 1948 vol 446 cc1456-7
12. Mr. Driberg

asked the Minister of Transport if, in order to improve rural bus services and so enhance rural amenities generally and assist in increasing agricultural production, he will endeavour to secure a more substantial allocation of new buses to services operating in rural areas.

3. Mrs. Manning

asked the Minister of Transport if it is proposed that the rural areas which are so dependent on road transport should receive their share of the allocation of new buses.

Mr. Barnes

There is a general shortage of new public service vehicles, but I have no reason to believe that rural areas generally are worse off in this respect than elsewhere.

Mr. Driberg

Will my right hon. Friend give some facts to substantiate his incredulity? The services in the rural areas are very bad.

Mr. Barnes

The reply is that there is a general shortage everywhere, and it is not possible, at the present time, to make up the deficiencies. The services are no worse in the rural areas generally, owing to the shortage, than during the war. I am quite aware that there are certain rural areas which have always had an insufficient service, but that is not aggravated at the moment by the general shortage of buses.

Mrs. Manning

Is my right hon. Friend aware that the rural areas must be worse off than the urban areas because many of them have no buses at all, and no transport of any kind? All I am asking is whether, under the new allocation of 4,000 buses by L.P.T., as advertised, the rural areas will get some of that allocation, and a better allocation than the urban areas because they are worse off?

Mr. Barnes

My reply did not dispute that the rural areas generally are in a worse position than the urban areas. I stated that that shortage could not be made up out of the present limited production of vehicles.

Mr. Driberg

On what basis is the allocation divided between town and country?

Mr. Barnes

I could not answer that in reply to a supplementary question, but I shall be delighted to give my hon. Friend further information on a rather complex and difficult situation.

Commander Maitland

Will the right hon. Gentleman say whether he is prepared to give priority to the scattered districts in regard to buses?

Mr. Barnes

No.

Colonel Clarke

Will the Minister consider whether the position could not be helped from the production point of view? Will he take into account that the big buses cannot run on many of the rural roads, and that this difficulty might be overcome by supplementing the number of smaller buses, so that they could feed the bigger ones?

Mr. Barnes

I doubt whether that would ease the present difficulty. It might be desirable to produce more double-deck buses, in view of the limited number which we have for public service.

Mr. Orr-Ewing

Is not the Minister aware that doing away with the basic petrol ration has affected the load on rural bus services to a far greater degree than it has in the urban areas? In view of that, will he reconsider the question of giving direct priority to rural bus services in the supply of buses?

Mr. Barnes

I am, of course, aware that the removal of the basic petrol ration has increased the strain on transport generally. I would not wish to place myself in the position of indicating where the strain is most acute.