§ Mr. HANNONasked the Minister of Transport whether the sum of £30,220,000, embodied in the total original net estimate, 1921–22, for railway and canal (War) agreements liquidation, will be entirely absorbed in meeting the deficiency in net receipts of the railway companies owing to the coal stoppage and to increased trade depression; whether the £9,000,000 asked for in Supplementary Estimate, No. 129, dated 2nd June, 1921, will be similarly absorbed; and whether the £30,000,000, payable under the railway and canal agreements liquidation for the current year in respect of abnormal wear and tear, etc., must be provided by a further Supplementary Estimate?
§ Sir E. GEDDESAs explained in Part III. of the Supplementary Estimate 129, the whole of the original provision and of the supplementary sum is estimated to be required to meet deficiencies in net receipts of the railway agreements and other claims, including the liquidation of the canal agreements. If, in the latter part of the question the910W hon. Member has in mind the payment proposed in Clause 10 of the Railways Bill, I would refer him to the answer given by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the 15th June to a somewhat similar question by the hon. Member for Islington East (Mr. Raper), a copy of which I am sending him.