HC Deb 14 July 1952 vol 503 cc1798-800
38. Mr. Callaghan

asked the Minister of Transport if he will arrange for hon. Members who so desire to visit depots of British Road Services to see the work that is being done.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

I have no doubt that the Chairman of the British Transport Commission would be pleased to make arrangements to show to any hon. Member, on request, the work being done at British Road Services depots.

Mr. Callaghan

I am much obliged to the Minister. Would he care to tell us whether he has taken advantage of any arrangement to visit these places?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

As soon as I am relieved from daily attendance in the House of Commons I propose to do so.

Mr. Callaghan

Would not it have been far better for the right hon. Gentleman to have done so before making a statement about their inefficiency?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

I made no statement about the inefficiency of British Road Service depots. I will make it quite clear and plain to the many thousands of people who are doing sterling work there and elsewhere that we are very grateful to them, but we feel they have been confronted with impossible tasks by the last Socialist Administration.

Mr. Callaghan

May I ask the Minister to refresh his memory by referring to column 484 of HANSARD for 21st May, in which he made an allegation of inefficiency against the Road Haulage Executive and their services? Would he withdraw that completely, because it is untrue?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

As the hon. Member knows perfectly well, I was from the start at pains to make it clear that it was the system which was at fault and not the people.

Mr. Shepherd

If my right hon. Friend is arranging these parties, will he extend them to visits to traders and industrialists, who will tell hon. Members what they think of British Road Services?

Mr. Popplewell

Will the Minister make it his duty to visit these various depots, where he will find that the widespread uneasiness caused by the present denationalisation proposals of the Government has had a tremendous effect on the efficient working of those depots?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

I shall certainly investigate every point of view of the men concerned, and there are many different points of view. In addition, I should have been glad to discuss the matter with the trade unions concerned, if they had been ready to do so before the preparation of the Bill.

Mr. Callaghan

On a point of order. The Minister has introduced a new factor in that reply which was entirely unrelated to the original Question—[HON. MEMBERS: "No."] Yes; he is leaving on the record of the House a statement that should be challenged at the earliest possible moment. May not we ask the Minister what reply the trade unions gave him?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

Almost the first thing I did when I became Minister was to ask the unions if they would have consultations with me, before the Bill was completed, on what form it ought to take. Acting on what advice or thoughts I do not know, they replied that they would prefer to wait until the Bill was published.

Mr. Popplewell

In view of that important statement, will the Minister publish the documents in the Library so that we can all see what has actually taken place?

Mr. Speaker

We are a long way from the original Question.

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