§ Sir H. NIELDasked the President of the Board of Trade if he can now make any statement as to the Great Western Railway Company having declined to accept any goods for delivery in the district of Ealing notwithstanding that such district is served by their main line which passes through it; whether such refusal has the sanction of the Railway Executive Committee, and, if so, what is the reason for depriving this district of the delivery of goods upon which it has always relied, seeing that the company are the only goods carriers by rail serving that neighbourhood; and whether he will take steps to compel a return by the company to their 590W former practice, and serve the district in the same manner as other parts of their system?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANI am informed by the Great Western Railway Company that they have made no change in the practice under which cartage is performed in Ealing, and that there is no record of the company having declined to deal with consignments of general merchandise for delivery in that district. As the hon. and learned Member is aware, temporary restrictions have had to be imposed recently on the conveyance of traffic to many places.