HC Deb 25 July 1956 vol 557 cc392-3
36. Mr. Ernest Davies

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will now announce what he proposes to do to encourage the staggering of the times of beginning and ending work in London in order to relieve congestion at peak hours.

Mr. Watkinson

After consultation with the Chairmen of the Central Transport Consultative Committee and the British Transport Commission, I have decided to adopt a suggestion made to me by Mr. Fitzgerald, the Chairman of the London Transport Users' Consultative Committee and of the sub-committee which has been concerned with the staggering of hours, that I should appoint a new committee to take on this work from the Consultative Committee, which has important separate duties under the Transport Acts.

I have accordingly decided to set up a committee with the main function of putting in train further measures for the staggering of working hours in central London. I am glad to say that Mr. Fitzgerald has consented to act as chairman of this new committee.

I am circulating the proposed terms of reference in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

I should like to take this opportunity of expressing my appreciation of the excellent work which Mr. Fitzgerald and his sub-committee have done in addition to their regular duties on the Consultative Committee.

Mr. Davies

Is the Minister satisfied that this is the most expeditious way of dealing with this matter? Surely another committee means that there will be meetings; there will then be a report, during which time no action will be taken. The Government are very apt to appoint these committees, and we then have to wait a very long time before any action is taken. Will not he take any immediate action in this matter? It is very urgent.

Mr. Watkinson

No. The fact of the case is—as I think the hon. Member knows—that this is a very difficult technical question. We have to balance buses and trains and all the other means of arrival. Mr. Fitzgerald and his colleagues are, perhaps, the most expert people to do this job, and that is what they will be doing in the autumn of this year.

The following are the proposed terms of reference:
  1. (1) To consider and to set in train further measures for the staggering of working hours so as to relieve congestion at the peak periods on the services to and from central London provided by London Transport and British Railways;
  2. (2) to review changes in the day-time population of central London, particularly those arising from the erection of new buildings, and to endeavour to avoid any consequent increase of congestion;
  3. (3) to recommend to the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation any measures which they may consider desirable but find themselves unable to initiate; and
  4. (4) to report progress to him at least once a year.
The committee will be free to appoint subcommittees, not necessarily confined to its own members, and to delegate to them such of its functions under heads (1) and (2) as it may think fit. [Note: Central London should be broadly taken as covering the City of London, the Borough of Holborn, the City of Westminster and adjacent parts of the Boroughs of Fins-bury, St. Pancras, and St. Marylebone, of the Royal Borough of Kensington and of the Boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark.]
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