§ Mr. HANNONasked the Minister of Transport whether he has had under consideration the recommendations submitted to him in July of last year by the executive committee of the Association of British Chambers of Commerce and the conclusions of the Committee on Industry and Trade in their final report on transport charges as a cause of our loss of trade; and whether he proposes to take steps for an early investigation into the high level of transport charges as operating against the competitive power of the heavy industries in this country and indirectly tending to increase unemployment?
§ Mr. HERBERT MORRISONUnder the Railways Act, 1921, provision is made for periodical reviews of railway charges generally, and, in addition, representative bodies of traders can at any time apply to the Railway Rates Tribunal for modification of existing charges. I do not consider that any useful purpose would be served by duplicating the existing machinery, and I may remind the hon. Member that the heavy industries have already received a substantial measure of relief from transport charges under the provisions of the Local Government Act, 1929.