§ Sir H. NIELDasked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that the Tramways Charges Advisory Committee has given notice, dated 23rd July, of a 66W public inquiry on the 10th August next in respect of the applications of the Metropolitan Electric Tramways, Limited, and the London United Tramways, Limited, for Orders under the Statutory Undertakings (Temporary Increases of Charges) Act, 1918, the Tramways (Temporary Increases of Charges) Act, 1920, authorising increased charges on the tramway undertakings of those Companies; that on application being made by the Middlesex County Council to the London United Tramways, Limited, in accordance with the Company's notice of the inquiry, for detailed information as to the existing statutory powers of charge, and of the charges as proposed to be revised, the Company's representatives stated that they were unable to supply copies of the detailed information referred to above; whether, in view of the short notice of the inquiry, that a large number of persons interested will be absent from London on holidays, that all local authorities concerned will be in vacation, and that the existing interim Order of the Ministry will not expire until the 18th December next, the difficulty in obtaining detailed information from the London United Tramways, Limited, as to the proposed charges, that the existing Order has only been in force for a period of about six weeks, and that it is, consequently, impossible in so short a period to form any adequate opinion as to the effect of the increasd charges authorised by the interim Order, the holding of the proposed inquiry at such an early and inconvenient date is premature and undesirable; and whether he will give directions for the inquiry to be postponed to a later date to enable those representing the public to adequately prepare and present the case in opposition to the Companies' proposals?
§ Sir E. GEDDESI would refer the hon Member to the answer given to a similar question put by the hon. and gallant Member for Tottenham North (Major Prescott) on the 5th instant, a copy of which I am sending to him.