§ 32. Lord Malcolm Douglas-Hamiltonasked the Minister of Transport when it is proposed to publish the Annual Report of the British Transport Commission for 1950.
§ Mr. BarnesThe Commission hope that the Report will be available in the early part of July.
§ Lord Malcolm Douglas-HamiltonCan we not break this bad habit of getting the Report only when it is months out of date? Should we not have it available now?
§ Mr. BarnesI think that this represents a considerable improvement on our experience of last year. They are very formidable accounts.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftDoes the right hon. Gentleman recall the scandalous delay which took place last year in the publication of this Report? Does he appreciate that the affairs of the Transport Commission are now deteriorating so fast and that the delay in the publication of the Report is so long that the House of Commons frequently finds itself debating something which is months and months out of date? Will the right hon. Gentleman send a sharp note to Lord Hurcomb?
§ Mr. BarnesI do not think that any problem is solved by exaggerated statements of that kind.