§ 8. Mr. Spriggsasked the Minister of Transport if he will seek to amend the Transport Act, 1962, in such a way that Members of Parliament can obtain detailed information from the Railways Board for Parliamentary purposes.
§ Mr. GalbraithNo, Sir. I have no doubt that the Board already does all that can reasonably be expected of it to provide hon. Members with information they need for Parliamentary purposes.
§ Mr. SpriggsIs the hon. Gentleman aware that the Railways Board is not 1260 giving hon. Members information about finances which they have been asking for? I take it that hon. Members on both sides of the House have tried to obtain the information to which I refer—the overall takings at stations and goods depôts. As hon. Members cannot get this information, would the hon. Member look at this matter again, have a talk with the Chairman of the Railways Board, and report to the House?
§ Mr. GalbraithThis is a very difficult question because it runs into the problems of managerial competence. Perhaps I might remind the hon. Member what my right hon. Friend the then Leader of the House said on 31st July last year, that Ministers would consider sympathetically getting information on a national basis about nationalised industries. If it is general figures which the hon. Member wants and he would like to inform me about them, I will certainly do what I can to help, but if they are detailed figures about a particular case, that would be another matter.
§ Mr. SpriggsDoes this not make the Chairman of the Railways Board into a virtual dictator in that he is given power by the Minister to refuse to give Members of the House of Commons vital information? Will the hon. Gentleman consider this matter again in the light of the requirements of information that we vitally need, and report to the House?
§ Mr. GalbraithIf it is information on a detailed point, I am afraid that I cannot do anything, but if it is information on a general matter, then we can try to help.