§ Mr. ATKEYasked the Minister of Transport whether the Mansion House Association on Railway and Canal Traffic for the United Kingdom is a representative organisation exclusively devoted to the question of railway and canal traffic; why he did not address to this body the letter he sent to the Federation of British Industries, the Associated Chamber of Commerce, the Central Chamber of Agriculture, and the Mining Association of Great Britain; and will he rectify the omission?
§ Mr. NEALI must refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for the Hamilton Division of Lanarkshire (Mr. D. Graham) on 24th February. The letter referred to asked for an expression of views not later than 15th March, and its text has been published in the Press. I am sending the hon. Member a copy. It was considered advisable, in order to facilitate and expedite the enquiry, to restrict the preliminary invitations of views as to the principles on which railway rates could best be based to the fewest possible number of Associations, and I can assure the hon. Member that no disrespect was intended to the Mansion House Association on Railway and Canal Traffic. I should be glad to receive any proposals the Association have to make on the subject and to transmit them to the Rates Advisory Committee for consideration.