§ 6. Sir R. Thompsonasked the Minister of Transport if he will give a general direction in the public interest to the Railways Board to restore the benefit of concessionary fares to orphans and necessitous children travelling to and from their place of boarding education.
§ The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport (Mr. Stephen Swingler)No, Sir. The decision in such cases must rest with the Railways Board.
§ Sir R. ThompsonDoes the hon. Gentleman think it right to lump together with people such as drovers with livestock, regimental bands and people of that character, orphans who need the benefit of this concession? Does he not think that the very small amount of money required ought to be the subject of a direction from him, as he surely believes that the railways have a social as well as an economic function?
§ Mr. SwinglerI am well aware of the case with which the hon. Gentleman is concerned, and I have the greatest sympathy with those involved. But we have resisted the idea of giving directions on the subject of concessionary fares, whether to public boards which operate transport or to local authorities who do so. We have left it to them to decide how such fares should be operated, and I think that that must be our policy.