HC Deb 11 April 1962 vol 657 cc1318-9
20. Mr. Mapp

asked the Minister of Transport if he will publish the views of the Central Transport Consultative Committee for Great Britain expressed to him, which are referred to in lines 3 to 8 of page 4 of its Annual Report, House of Commons Paper 139, of 27th March.

Mr. Marples

No, Sir. The discussions referred to in the Report were confidential.

Mr. Mapp

Is not the Minister withholding from hon. Members the informed and vital advice of the consumers of transport, on the railways in particular? Is there not an over-riding burden, or at least a moral burden, on the Minister to ensure that their subsequent reports on the current Bill and the amplifications which the Minister has in mind should be made known and that the views of this consumers' committee, acting in its independent, detached way, should be known to hon. Members?

Mr. Marples

The full record of the Committee's minutes, like its minutes generally, is confidential and I should not be justified in asking that it should be made public.

Mr. Mellish

Is it not right that the House should be informed of the other point of view when a decision is taken to close a branch line? It is on record in the Annual Report that this is a negative policy. Surely we are entitled to know the views of consumers concerned—the numbers and so on—so that we may have an intelligent debate?

Mr. Marples

This passage of the Report does not deal with that at all. It deals with the discussion in the Committee about the Committee's functions and also about suggestions put to me regarding the Transport Bill.