HC Deb 21 July 1959 vol 609 cc1048-9
18. Mr. Ernest Davies

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works, as representing the Lord President of the Council, whether the Road Research Laboratory will prepare a report for publication on the road transport industry from the results of the sample survey conducted by the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation in April, 1958, together with comparisons with a similar survey conducted in 1952.

Mr. H. Nicholls

No, Sir. A Report based on the survey has already been published by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation.

Mr. Davies

Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that the Report is completely biassed and prejudiced? Does he not agree that it is not the purpose of a White Paper to put forward a party-political case? Does he not agree that the figures which have been produced require to be objectively analysed so that it can be shown exactly what are the advantages of different forms of transport, particularly within the road transport industry? Does he not agree that it is not the purpose of a White Paper to draw attention to the fact that there is no waste or inefficiency in the issue of C licences, when the figures do not prove that?

Mr. Nicholls

The hon. Member has a Question on the Order Paper to my right hon. Friend the Minister of Trans-part for tomorrow, but if I may say so with great respect, he gives the appearance to me that he is the one who is biassed in this matter. It would seem that he expects any report to show that C licences are wasteful and inefficient. The Report shows that that is not true. Is the hon. Gentleman awfully disappointed and therefore shows bias?

Mr. G. Wilson

Does my hon. Friend not agree that diesel fumes which are visible are much less dangerous than fumes from petrol-driven vehicles?