§ 25. Mr. E. Fletcherasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will raise the age limit so that all children attending school can travel at half-fare.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterNo, Sir. This is a matter for the appropriate fare-fixing body in each case, except that Parliament recently enacted that in the case of municipal transport undertakings such concessions would only be granted to children under 15, or to full-time scholars up to 18 only when travelling to and from school.
§ Mr. FletcherWill the hon. Gentleman say whether it is the policy of the Government to encourage the extension of these cheap facilities to all schoolchildren?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterI do not think it is the business of the Government to seek to dictate to a fairly elaborate system of fare-fixing organisations, which this House has itself set up both for rail and road. They are perfectly competent to deal with the applications which come before them, and I do not think I should interfere.