§ 32. Mr. Peter Walkerasked the Minister of Transport what consideration he has given to alternatives to the quantity licensing system as envisaged in the Transport Bill.
§ Mr. MarshI have considered various alternatives, but none of them is likely to be as effective as the limited form of quantity licensing proposed in the Transport Bill.
§ Mr. WalkerWill the Minister give further consideration to the suggestion put to him by the industry of a system whereby British Railways are informed of the rates charged and can put forward their quotation, thus eliminating all the system of tribunals that would otherwise have to be set up?
§ Mr. MarshThe present position under the Transport Bill saves a great deal of bureaucracy, in that it releases something like 100,000 vehicles from licensing. The difference between us is that the Dutch system, which is basically what is being proposed here, would present information but in the last resort the consignor could still stick to road transport in the face of all the evidence that rail was just as good.