§ 20. Mr. Huckfieldasked the Minister of Transport if she will give the number of applications for fares increases which the Midland Red bus company have made to the Traffic Commissioners since 1950, and the average amount of increase which has been granted.
§ Mr. SwinglerSixteen. The average grant amounted to about 51 per cent. of the company's annual gross revenue.
§ Mr. HuckfieldI thank my hon. Friend for that reply. However, since this amounts to an increase in fares pretty well annually since 1950, does the Minister still refuse to assume powers to stop Midland Red campaigning against her Department's proposals for transport passenger authorities on the ground that they will put up fares?
§ Mr. SwinglerAny propaganda carried out by the Midland Red is its responsibility. However, no doubt my hon. Friend has noted my right hon. Friend's reply in Parliament on 7th November totally dissociating the transport holding company from this propaganda or any financing of it. But we are concerned to break the vicious spiral revealed in the Answer, which has taken place over the years. As I said previously, that is why my right hon. Friend is to set up passenger transport authorities.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerWould the hon. Gentleman agree that the figures he has just given are much better than those of London Transport? Since 1954, there has been an increase of 123 per cent. in London Transport fares and last year it had a deficit of nearly £6 million.
§ Mr. SwinglerThe hon. Gentleman must try to compare like with like. The percentage figure which I gave was of the company's annual gross revenue. The pattern of fare increases in the bus industry over the whole country has been very much the same because of the vicious spiral of increasing costs and falling traffic. It is this vicious spiral which we shall attack by setting up integrated transport authorities.