§ 42. Mr. Sparksasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation how many vehicles of all types have so far been sold by the Road Haulage Disposal Board what is the total proceeds of such sales; and how many vehicles of all types remain to be disposed of.
§ 53. Mr. Ernest Daviesasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation the total number of vehicles so far disposed of by the Road Haulage Disposal Board; the number that remain to be sold in accordance with the Transport Act, 1953; and the percentages these disposals represent as regards vehicles, with and without premises, of the total numbers offered, respectively.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydOf the 13,166 vehicles offered in the first seven lists 5,947 have so far been sold, or 18 per cent. of those with premises, and 73 per cent. of those offered without premises. A few cases are still to be decided. I am informed by the British Transport Commission that the purchase prices of the transport units so far sold total about £7.4 million; this includes the sums paid for rights obtained by purchases and for property included in units other than vehicles. About 26,500 vehicles are still to be sold.
§ Mr. SparksDoes not the reply which the right hon. Gentleman has given to both these Questions clearly indicate the complete failure of the Government policy, and would it not be better if he ceased monkeying about with national transport and permitted the unsold vehicles to remain with the British Transport Commission in order that it may carry out its enterprise?
§ Mr. Ernest Davies rose—
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydI think that both supplementary questions will be in the same form.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydI will certainly answer. The results so far are moderately satisfactory and do nothing to alter my view that, in the long run, it is a great deal simpler to do mischief than to undo it.
§ Mr. DaviesHow can the Minister say that this is satisfactory from his point of view when less than half the vehicles put up for sale—some put up more than once; some three times—have been sold, and that the numbers sold compared with his predictions are only a fraction? Will the Minister, in view of the complete failure, now introduce amending legislation to enable the Commission to operate efficiently the road transport industry?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydI do not know what the hon. Gentleman has in mind when he talks about my predictions. What I have said was that we would carry out the terms of the Act, giving an opportunity for people to bid for these vehicles. A very high proportion of vehicles without premises has in fact been sold. Certain lessons have been learned—[HON.MEMBERS: "Oh."]—I hope, by the Opposition, such as that one cannot prejudge the success of the story at an early stage.
§ Mr. CallaghanAssuming that the Minister proposes to continue with the sale of the 26,000 vehicles that are still on hand, how long will it take for them to be sold before the whole operation can be cleared up?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydIt would be a little difficult to give a precise date, but it is clearly a simpler operation to seize private property than to return it.