Planning Board

HC Deb 30 March 1960 vol 620 cc1318-20

28 and 29. Mr. Grimond

asked the Minister of Transport (1) if he will now announce the names of the members of the new Railway Planning Board; and if it is to be permanent; and

(2) what are the present considerations which prompted him to set up a planning board to advise him about the size, shape and pattern of railways and the future prospects of traffic.

Mr. Marples

The considerations prompting the setting up of this body were fully explained by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister in his statement of 10th March last. I hope to be able to announce the composition and terms of reference of the body very shortly.

Mr. Grimond

Was the British Transport Commission consulted before this proposal was made? If so, did the Commission recommend it? Ought there not to be people either in the Ministry or in the British Transport Commission doing this sort of planning without the need of a new board? If the new board is to have these very wide terms of reference, does the Minister think that it can give a once-for-all decision on these matters?

Mr. Marples

The terms of reference have not been announced and the hon. Member does not know what they are.

Mr. Grimond

The Joint Parliamentary Secretary stated them.

Mr. Marples

The actual terms of reference have not been announced. The hon. Member is, therefore, in error when he refers to them. The Chairman of the British Transport Commission was almost in daily consultation with me, and he agreed with the procedure which the Government are following.

Mr. Benn

Will this planning board be charged with the responsibility for studying the future of transport as a whole, or will it be confined to the railways? Does not the Minister agree that certain simple, clear-cut decisions, such as those concerning the freedom to develop sites for car parking and similar purposes, and the Victoria line tube, need not await yet another commission inquiring into the management side of the railways?

Mr. Marples

If the hon. Member thinks that matters connected with the railways are very simple, he ought to think again. It would be better to wait until the terms of reference are announced before answering supplementary questions about them.

Mr. Grimond

Is the Minister aware that his Joint Parliamentary Secretary courteously gave the House certain information about the terms of reference in a recent debate? Are we to understand that this information is wrong?

Mr. Marples

If the hon. Member will look at HANSARD, as I certainly shall after his question, I think he will find that the words "terms or reference" were never used by my hon. Friend. All he did was to give a little information to the House in the course of the debate. The terms of reference as such have not yet been announced. I think that we ought to wait until the names of the members of the board and the terms of reference are announced.

Mr. Manuel

Will the House have a full opportunity to debate any decisions reached by the Planning Board before they are automatically put into operation by British Railways?

Mr. Marples

If the hon. Member will study the Report of that debate, he will see that the decisions of the Planning Board will be advisory to the Government and that it will be up to the Government to decide what action to take.