§ 10. Mr. Farrasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied that the ability of traffic commissioners to forbid local education authorities from carrying fare-paying passengers works effectively; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Minister for Transport Industries (Mr. John Peyton)I am not aware of any difficulty.
§ Mr. FarrIs my right hon. Friend aware that some education authorities have great difficulty in permitting the sale of fare places to passengers on their local education authority buses? This practice of selling places to fare-paying passengers is forbidden by the traffic commissioners and it makes nonsense when half empty school buses go trundling around the countryside with would-be fare-paying passengers forbidden to enter them.
§ Mr. PeytonI have every sympathy with my hon. Friend. The matter is one which I hope will be dealt with in forthcoming legislation.