§ 42. Mr. Brockwayasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what recommendations have been made by the Transport Users' Consultative Committees on the proposal, supported by the Home Office Working Committee on Hackney Carriages, the National Taxi-cab Owners' Association, and the Transport and General Workers Union, that the privilege ranks at railway stations should be open, by rota, to all licensed taxi-drivers.
§ Mr. WatkinsonI have now received the report from the Consultative Committees. I will place a copy in the Library and will send copies to those members who have expressed an interest in this question.
§ Mr. BrockwayYes, but is not the right hon. Gentleman able to inform the House of the recommendations of these consultative committees? Is he not aware that a large number of hon. Members on both sides of the House have been urging that this intolerable privilege should be ended? When a Home Office committee, employers and trade unions all demand this reform, why should it be held up any longer?
§ Mr. WatkinsonIt is a very long and complicated reform and not one that can possibly be dealt with by means of a Parliamentary Answer. I am sending a copy of the Committee's findings to the hon. Gentleman. They have to be considered by the Commissioners because they require the Commission to do certain things.