HL Deb 06 December 1955 vol 194 cc1094-5

2.40 p.m.

EARL HOWE

My Lords, I beg to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any statement can be made with reference to the undertaking given by the Lord Chancellor that he and the Minister of Labour were going to confer with all interested parties on the question of raising the speed limit for heavy commercial vehicles.]

THE PAYMASTER GENERAL (THE EARL OF SELKIRK)

My Lords, the problem to which the noble Earl refers in his Question has been under continuous examination, but it has not yet proved possible to find a practical solution. I regret, therefore, that I cannot make any statement on this matter at present.

EARL HOWE

My Lords, while thanking the noble Earl for his Answer, may I ask him whether I should be correct in assuming that the matter has not been lost sight of and that negotiations are still being continued? I raise the matter because of the wholesale disregard of the law by 94 per cent. of the personnel involved—that is the Government's official figure—which is going on at the present time.

LORD DERWENT

My Lords, further to what the noble Earl, Lord Howe, has just said, may I ask whether in fact the solution is not to raise the speed limit for these vehicles?

THE EARL OF SELKIRK

My Lords, I can assure the noble Earl that the Government are not losing sight of this question. We should all, on all sides of the House, like to find a solution to it. I very much regret that there is nothing further that I can say now. I can assure the noble Earl that those who have this matter under observation are constantly seeking ways of bringing it to a satisfactory solution.

EARL HOWE

My Lords, I hesitate to inflict myself on the House again, but here is a question, as the noble and learned Viscount, the Lord Chancellor—

SEVERAL NOBLE LORDS

Order, order!

EARL HOWE

My Lords, I am sorry; I beg to ask a question. The noble and learned Viscount the Lord Chancellor informed us in the debate that there was wholesale infraction of the law. Do I understand from the answer which the noble Earl has just given that the Government are not going to do anything further about it and, that we are, in fact, to be asked to continue to recognise wholesale breaking of the law?

THE EARL OF SELKIRK

My Lords, I do not think that is a correct interpretation of what I said. We are seeking a solution and we hope to be able to find one, but it is no use proposing a solution which would be worse than the disease itself.