§ 9. Mr. P. Browneasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider taking over financial responsibility for the maintenance of school crossing patrols on main trunk roads where these are not provided by the county authority.
§ Mr. RentonNo, Sir. This is, by Statute, a local responsibility.
§ Mr. BrowneAs my hon. and learned Friend says that he has no power to take action in this matter, will he at least write to those few authorities who do not provide money for these very necessary crossing patrols, urging them 1458 to do so, especially in view of the ever-increasing volume of traffic in the West Country during the summer?
§ Mr. RentonNo, Sir. Local authorities have a discretion and responsibility of their own for deciding whether or not to have school crossing patrols. All county councils except four, and all county borough councils except four, have school crossing patrols. In Devon, where my hon. Friend's constituency is situated, there are no patrols, and it is for the democratically elected county councillors there to decide whether or not to have them.