§ Mr. MACQUISTENasked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that the time and labour of 25 per cent, of the workers in the London traffic combine is being wasted owing to the working of the continuous shift instead of the split shift, or men coming on duty at the morning and evening rush; that the extra cost of the continuous shift is still about £1,000,000 per annum over that of the split shift; and, seeing that he has now consented to the raising of the fares and the reason for the combines not refusing to consent to the continuous shift no longer holds good, will he take steps to restore the split shift, that the labour so released may be employed usefully in increased facilities to the overcrowded travelling public?
§ Mr. NEALI am unable to accept as substantially accurate the figures given in this question. In any case, as already explained in reply to previous questions, the present arrangements are governed by agreements come to with the union representing the men concerned, and the revision of those agreements does not rest merely on the consent of the combine, but also on the acceptance by the unions of an increased number of split shifts.
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