HC Deb 22 January 1942 vol 377 cc449-50W
Mr. Granville

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport whether he is aware that, on 23rd December, 18 of the available sleeping-berths on the night train from King's Cross to Edinburgh were taken by Government priorities, the remaining two being booked in October, and that the wife of a Royal Air Force Dominion pilot, whose health needed special consideration, was unable to obtain accommodation, resulting in unnecessary hardship; why there is no provision made for such circumstances in the system of Government priority control; and whether he will take immediate steps to arrange for this provision?

Colonel Llewellin

In addition to the 20 first-class berths, of which 18 were reserved for persons travelling on urgent Government business, there were 53 third class berths on the train, all but three of which were available for allocation by the railway companies to the general public. I regret any inconvenience which may have been suffered by the lady in question, but I am afraid that I cannot undertake to extend the arrangements for reservations by the Government to persons travelling for private purposes.