Q5. Mr. Gresham Cookeasked the Prime Minister whether he has considered a memorandum from the National Council of Inland Transport concerning road and rail transport; and what reply he has sent.
§ The Prime MinisterYes, Sir. My letter of 23rd October last year was published at the time.
Mr. Gresham CookeWill my right hon. Friend say whether this body, with the rather grandiose title of National Council of Inland Transport, is in any way official? Is he aware that, although it purports to deal with roads, it has no adequate representation of road transport? If it is not official, is he aware that it seems to be an insignificant pressure group?
§ The Prime MinisterIt is a private organisation.
Mr. H. WilsonWithout pursuing the sort of petty matters which the hon. Member is following, will the right hon. Gentleman look again at his letter, which contained some excellent truths which the whole House should study, in which he said that the whole question of railway reorganisation should be judged against the effects on the economy as a whole? If he meant that, will he look again at the answer which he has just given to my previous supplementary question?
§ The Prime MinisterIt must be so judged and I think that the country is judging the Beeching Plan as a great advance to bringing the country up to date.
§ Mr. P. Noel-BakerCan the Prime Minister explain what the Minister of Transport meant by saying to the Sunday Times that he would take a new look at C licences?
§ The Prime MinisterI do not have the quotation with me. I have a quotation in which my right hon. Friend was said to have said that he would take a new look at nationalisation, but I see that he really said "at rationalisation".