§ 15. Mr. McAddenasked the Minister of Transport what process of selection was used in appointing members to the East Anglia Transport Consultative Committee.
§ 29. Brigadier Medlicottasked the Minister of Transport what was the basis on which members were selected for appointment to the East Anglia Transport Consultative Committee.
§ Mr. BarnesAs required by the Transport Act, I consulted bodies representing agriculture, commerce, industry, shipping, labour and local authorities. From the names submitted by these bodies and by the British Transport Commission I chose the persons who appeared to be most suitable with due regard to keeping a proper balance within the Committee as a whole and a reasonable distribution of membership throughout the area of the Committee. I have also appointed two additional members.
§ Mr. McAddenIs the Minister aware that this method of selection has entirely debarred from representation any of those who are day-to-day passengers on the railway? Is he further aware that 20,000 people who use the Southend—Fenchurch Street line are debarred from any representation? Will he appoint one of them as a member?
§ Mr. BarnesAs there is a season ticket holder in every town and city and it would be impossible to secure the representations of all of them. As a matter of fact, there is a season ticket holder, if not from this area from another, on this Committee, but the authority in which the hon. Member is interested has a direct representative put on by the municipal authority.
§ Mr. McAddenNot at all.
§ 36. Mr. Braineasked the Minister of Transport whether he will add to the Transport Users Consultative Committee for East Anglia a representative from the travelling public using the Fenchurch Street—Shoeburyness line.
§ Mr. BarnesNo, Sir. It would not be practicable to add to these committees representatives of particular local interests of this kind.
§ Mr. BraineIs the right hon. Gentleman aware of the intense dissatisfaction of thousands of travellers in South Essex with the unreliable services and dirty conditions under which they have to travel? Bearing in mind that the railways belong to the public, will the right hon. Gentleman reconsider his answer and give representation to the unfortunate people who use this line, so that their grievances and remedies may be considered?
§ Mr. BarnesI have already pointed out that the Southend local authority has a representative, and I see no reason why bodies of citizens should not make their views felt through, for instance, the representation of the Southend municipal authority.
§ Sir H. WilliamsDo I understand from the Minister's answer that people on the Committee never travel?
§ Mr. DribergAre we to take it from this Question and answer that this Committee, despite its somewhat misleading name, does, in fact, cover Essex as well as East Anglia?
§ Mr. BarnesCertainly.
§ Mr. DribergIt is not part of it.
§ Mr. NicholsonWas the Minister choosing his words carefully when he described the travelling public using an important London terminus as "particular local interests"? I would like an answer to that.