§ 23 Mr. Beswickasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will give a general direction to the British Transport Commission and the London Transport Executive that concessions to booksellers on railway premises shall not be granted in such numbers to any one firm that a monopoly is created.
§ Mr. WatkinsonNo, Sir. The present arrangements are considered to give a better service than would otherwise be possible, and I have no evidence that the travelling public is dissatisfied with them.
§ Mr. BeswickEven if it is necessary to allow Messrs. W. H. Smith and Son to have a virtual monopoly, should there not be an obligation upon them not to exercise a political censorship over what they sell? Is it not quite intolerable that they should be in a position to deprive passengers of certain newspapers or books?
§ Mr. WatkinsonNo monopoly in a national sense exists, because concessions are let to Messrs. W. H. Smith and Son, Messrs. Wyman and Messrs. Menzies.
§ Mr. BeswickYes, but in any given area, as the Minister knows, there is a monopoly. Does he think it right that not only should there be a monopoly but an abuse of it by having a censorship?