§ 9. Mr. Osborneasked the Minister of Transport what reply has been sent to the Traders' Panel, Lincoln area, in answer 2465 to their protest of 15th September with regard to the Transport Users' Consultative Committee; and if he will divide the East Anglian area into two parts as requested.
§ Mr. BarnesI have explained to the Traders' Panel the reasons why it was proposed to include Lincolnshire in the area of the Transport Users' Consultative Committee for East Anglia. Since that reply was sent, the Central Transport Consultative Committee have suggested to me that Lincolnshire would be more appropriately included in the East Midland area, and I have decided to accept this view.
§ Mr. OsborneIs the right hon. Gentleman sure that this alteration will meet the wishes of the traders who complained? If the consultative committee is to do its work the area must be small or else people will not go to the meetings from such a large county.
§ Mr. BarnesI should have thought that this largely meets their point of view, but it was the consultative committee for the United Kingdom to which I was referring and not to a local consultative committee. It was the United Kingdom consultative committee which made representations to me and I decided to accept its recommendations.