§ 44 and 69. Miss Irene Wardasked the Minister of Transport (1) how many owners or ex-owners of undertakings compulsorily acquired by the British Transport Commission know the final amount of their total compensation; and how many of these have received final and total payment;
(2) how many "A" licence holders have been taken over; what were the total payments involved; the number of dispossessed holders who have been notified of the compensation payable; and the number who have received payment.
§ Mr. BarnesAs the answer is long and contains a number of figures I propose, 28 with the hon. Member's permission, to circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the answer:
§ The British Transport Commission have informed me that up to 28th February the undertakings of 1,579 "A" and "B" licence holders have been transferred to the Commission. The total payments involved will not be known until all valuations of assets have been completed and accounts received from the transferors, so that compensation can be finally assessed and, where necessary, confirmed by the Transport Arbitration Tribunal.
§ Out of 1,069 cases in which it had been possible to calculate a provisional ascertainment of compensation up to 28th February, 1950, notification had been given to 985 transferors. Up to the same date, payment in Transport Stock and/or cash of compensation provisionally ascertained, less a deduction of 10 per cent. in accordance with Section 48 (1) of the Transport Act, had been made on 664 cases, in addition to which cash advances had been made in 293 smaller cases. In 78 cases payment of compensation in the form of Transport Stock was offered by the Commission at various dates from 31st October, 1949, to 17th February, 1950, but the transferors chose to wait until 1st April, 1950, for payment.