§ Clause 100, page 74, line 7, at end insert ("and for the purposes of this subsection expenses incurred in disseminating knowledge or otherwise informing the minds of the people, with a view to promoting safety on roads, may be treated as expenses incurred in the administration of this Act").
EARL RUSSELLMy Lords, this Amendment will enable the Minister to subscribe from the Road Fund for leaflets and pamphlets and things of that sort, which may be distributed, possibly even leaflets for school-children with a view to preventing fatal accidents on the road.
§ Moved, That this House doth agree with the Commons in the said Amendment.—(Earl Russell.)
§ EARL HOWEMy Lords, I cannot help thinking that this is rather a novel proposal, and not much has been said about it. I have every sympathy with it, but are we not rather overlapping the functions of the National Safety First Council? They already spend a certain amount of money doing the same thing as is proposed in this case, and I am wondering whether we are really going to finance the Safety First Council. It seems a rather novel proposal, even if it is desirable. I suppose that everything depends upon the sort of knowledge disseminated and how it is done, and we have not been given very much in the way of enlightenment on that point cannot help thinking that this is going a rather long way from the usual objects for which this money is spent.
EARL RUSSELLMy Lords, I think the noble Earl cannot be familiar with the practice of the Ministry of Health, which distributes quite a considerable amount of printed matter with a view of 898 assisting the health of the public and preventing, disease. The Minister of Transport merely does the same thing with a view of preventing accidents on the road. It is not suggested that any private body should be financed, however meritorious.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.