§ The following Questions stood upon the Order Paper:
§ 99. Mr. NABARROTO ask the Minister of Transport whether he will now make a statement in regard to the Chairman, Deputy Chairman and four members of the Road Haulage Disposal Board and their terms of remuneration in respect of salary, fees, and expenses.
§ 101. Mr. ERNEST DAVIESTO ask the Minister of Transport if he will now make a statement on the appointments made to the Road Haulage Disposal Board, indicating those nominated by the respective bodies consulted, their interests, direct or indirect, in the transport industry, and the remuneration they are to receive by way of salaries, fees, allowances and expenses, respectively.
§ At the end of Questions—
§ The Minister of Transport (Mr. Alan Lennox-Boyd)I have appointed the following to the Road Haulage Disposal Board:
Lord Bilsland has agreed to make himself available for consultation on all questions involving Scottish interests.
- Chairman: Sir Malcolm Trustram Eve, Bt., G.B.E.. M.C.. T.D., Q.C.
- Deputy-Chairman: Mr. F. J. Orchin, C.B., O.B.E.
- Members: Lord Rusholme, Mr. W. Gordon Graham, Mr. R. H. Farmer, Mr. J. W. Greenwood.
Lord Rusholme is a member of the British Transport Commission.
Mr. W. Gordon Graham was formerly Managing Director of Morris Commercial Cars, Limited. I selected him from recommendations made by bodies representing trade and industry.
Mr. F. H. Farmer was a national Vice-Chairman of the Road Haulage Association, and Managing Director of Atlas Express Company, Limited. I selected him from recommendation made by the Road Haulage Association as representing A and B licence holders.
Mr. J. W. Greenwood was formerly Transport Manager of Messrs. Thomas Firth and John Brown, Limited. I selected him from recommendations made by bodies representing C licence holders.
The Chairman and members will serve on a part-time basis, the Deputy-Chairman on a full-time basis.
The salaries of the Chairman and Deputy-Chairman will be £3,000 a year each. Mr. Gordon Graham and Mr. Greenwood will receive £500 a year each, and the other two members will be unpaid.
The Chairman, Deputy-Chairman and members will be reimbursed such reasonable out-of-pocket expenses as are necessarily incurred in carrying out their duties.
§ Mr. DaviesWhile congratulating the Minister on appointing someone as chairman who has had a long period of disinterested public service, may I ask how he can justify the appointment of Mr. Farmer as one of the members, because he is a vice-chairman of the Road Haulage Association, an organisation which is interested in purchasing the vehicles and is interested in a company which is to finance them? How can such a person exercise a disinterested attitude towards the disposal of national assets?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydI understand that this matter is to be discussed at length tomorrow on the Adjournment, when I shall then be prepared to answer all questions.
§ Mr. NabarroMay I, on behalf of hon. Gentlemen on this side of the House, congratulate my right hon. Friend upon the distinguished persons he has invited to serve on this Board: and, further, may I ask him whether he will arrange to make available from time to time progress reports of the achievements of the Board and the steady liquidation of the assets concerned?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydI thank my hon. Friend for the words he has used. Of course, the Act itself provides for periodical reviews.
§ Mr. H. MorrisonMay I put it to the right hon. Gentleman that while it is true that there may be a debate on the Adjournment tomorrow, this is a matter of elementary principle which I should have thought it was reasonable for him to answer in respect of a supplementary question. I think he might tell the House why he is departing from the customary British tradition, both in national and local government, that interests directly concerned, or even indirectly concerned, should not serve upon such bodies. Why has the right hon. Gentleman appointed an official of the Road Haulage Association who, clearly, has an Association interest in this matter as a buyer and who is now to be involved in selling?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydWith every desire to be courteous to the right hon. Gentleman, this is a very important issue and it ought not, I think, to be answered in single sentences. As I know that 2259 tomorrow we are to have one and a quarter hours on this subject alone I thought it better to reserve my remarks till then. I would point out that I understand that Mr. Farmer is no longer an officer of this Association, but as, under the Act, I had to consult representatives of A and B licence holders, there is no body more qualified to give me useful advice than the Road Haulage Association.
§ Mr. CallaghanIn anticipation of tomorrow's debate, will the right hon. Gentleman say when Mr. Farmer resigned, because he was described as vice-president as recently as two or three weeks ago?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThe hon. Gentleman is inaccurate. Mr. Farmer was originally a vice-chairman and the Association held their meeting, I think, only yesterday. I must confess that I should see nothing improper in it if Mr. Fanner had continued to be a vice-chairman even though he was serving on this Board, and I am prepared to argue that tomorrow. Actually, he is no longer a vice-chairman, but, as I say, I will argue that at length tomorrow.
§ Mr. PopplewellTo assist us tomorrow, will the Minister please say whether the part-time members appointed to the Board have any financial interest in any finance groups or any other road haulage association or undertaking that might be purchasing these vehicles?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydIt is clearly laid down in the Act that where any individual transaction is before the Board any member who might feel that he had any direct or indirect interest in that transaction must disclose this before he acts. But I think it is much better that I should deal with that or any other charges or suggestions tomorrow.
§ Mr. SpeakerI do not think we can anticipate tomorrow's debate any further.