§ 28. Mr. Nabarroasked the Minister of Transport the sum of money paid, in aggregate, to former operating companies in respect of passenger road vehicles and businesses nationalised under the 1947 Act; the sum of money owing to former operating companies at 1st May, 1952; and whether he will now make a statement in regard to denationalisation of such passenger road vehicles as are currently in public ownership.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydUnder the 1947 Transport Act, the Commission could only compulsorily acquire road passenger undertakings as part of their area road passenger transport schemes. No such acquisitions have taken place and it is proposed to abolish these scheme-making powers in the forthcoming legislation. They have, however, by voluntary agreement, purchased shares in such companies at the cost of about £53 million. About £300,000 of this is still outstanding.
In addition, the shareholdings in a number of road passenger undertakings formerly owned by the Railway Companies were automatically vested in the 1834 Commission in January, 1948. In regard to the last part of the Question, I must ask my hon. Friend to await the publication of the Transport Bill.