§ 14. Mr W. Hamiltonasked the Minister of Transport if he will issue a general direction to the British Transport Commission that under no circumstances must the departure of trains be held up for the convenience of any passenger.
§ Mr. MarplesNo, Sir. The day-to-day operation of the railways is the responsibility of regional management.
§ Mr. HamiltonCan the right hon. Gentleman say what justification there is for holding up a train in Scotland for half an hour to enable the Home Secretary to return from his holidays? Can he say why on earth particularly Scottish Railways should in any way inconvenience themselves for a member of Her Majesty's Government at the present time?
§ Mr. MarplesThe curious thing is that they did not inconvenience themselves. The train, although held back where it started, arrived at Stirling at the time scheduled in the timetable. Therefore, the passengers were not inconvenienced. In addition, they had the pleasure of the company of my right hon. Friend. Although Scotland may complain, England, too, has a complaint, because an hon. Gentleman opposite stopped a train going from Victoria to 538 East Croydon at half-past twelve in the morning and inconvenienced English passengers, and the hon. Gentleman had to pay compensation.
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I am determined to invite the assistance of the House in getting on. We have not even managed to deal with 16 Questions by 3 o'clock today. Mr. Arthur Henderson, Question No. 16.