HC Deb 31 March 1952 vol 498 cc1172-4
44. Mr. F. Beswick

asked the Minister of Transport if he will refer to the Central Transport Consultative Committee the action of the British Transport Commission in withdrawing the workmen's cheap fare facilities from shift workers.

Mr. Maclay

I would refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Billericay (Mr. Braine) and my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Macclesfield (Air Commodore Harvey) and the hon. Member for Barking (Mr. Hastings) on Monday, 24th March, of which I am sending him copies.

Mr. Beswick

Is the hon. Gentleman referring me to that part of the answer in which he said that it would not be proper for him to refer the question of fares to the Consultative Committee, or is he referring me to that part of the answer in which he said that the Consultative Committee were in fact considering this matter?

Mr. Maclay

To both parts, both of which are correct.

Mr. Somerville Hastings

Does the hon. Gentleman realise how very hard hit are the people who were bombed out of London and compelled to live in the suburbs, and who now find that their fares to work are more than double what they were?

Mr. Maclay

I have noted that very carefully, but the hon. Member is attacking his own Act.

Captain Robert Ryder

Will my hon. Friend bear in mind that not only do Londoners have to travel much further to their places of work but in London, where the Transport Commission has a complete monopoly, the cost of travel per mile is considerably higher than in the Provinces, where transport undertakings have not a monopoly?

Mr. Beswick

Is the Minister not aware that he is now distorting this Act for the purpose of sheltering behind it? Is he not further aware that within the Act provision was made for this Consultative Committee, and that there is no reason at all why he should not refer these matters to that committee; and can he state the grounds upon which he was advised that he could not so refer these matters to them?

Mr. Maclay

Where the transport tribunal has decided a matter of principle, I am advised that it would be wrong for the Minister to refer that question of principle to the Transport Tribunal; otherwise what is the Transport Tribunal for?

Mr. James Callaghan

Will the right hon. Gentleman tell us in what section of the Transport Act the British Transport Commission are authorised to withdraw workmen's cheap fare facilities for shift workers?

Mr. Maclay

The whole question was, under the Act, put to the Tribunal.