§ 14. Lord Malcolm Douglas-Hamiltonasked the Minister of Transport how many objections were made by the Road Haulage Executive and the British Transport Commission to applications by individual hauliers over the last 12 months.
§ Mr. BarnesDuring the year ended 30th September last some 16,800 objections were made to applications for carriers' licences. Of these approximately 5,000 were by the Railway Executive and 11,800 by road hauliers including the Road Haulage Executive. Complete information as to objections made by the Road Haulage Executive is not available because in one traffic area they have not been recorded separately from those by other hauliers. In the rest of the country out of nearly 11,200 objections by hauliers, about 3,300 were made by the Road Haulage Executive and 7,800 by other hauliers.
§ Lord Malcolm Douglas-HamiltonIn view of the enormous number of objections made by the centralised transport monopoly, does the Minister think that it is in the interests of the remote areas in particular that such an attempt should be made to control road haulage?
§ Mr. BarnesIt seems that the noble Lord has not quite digested the figures. If he will look at them tomorrow he will find that the great majority of the objections were made by the private hauliers.
§ Mr. David RentonIs it not a fact that even when an independent judicial tribunal established by Parliament has heard the objections and decided to grant the licences, the Transport Commission or their Executives are refusing permits to operate under those licences? Will the Minister take steps to bring this contemptible attitude to an end?
§ Mr. BarnesThe hon. Member is entirely wrong.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftDoes the right hon. Gentleman really mean that he gives an undertaking to the House of Commons this afternoon that in any case where the Traffic Commissioners grant the licence, a permit will also be granted?
§ Mr. BarnesCertainly not. This has nothing to do with the Question which is on the Order Paper.