§ Major MOLSONasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether his attention has been called to the very serious damage which is being caused to the roads in Lindsey (Lines) and other counties by the transportation in road vehicles of large quantities of shells belonging to the Disposal and Liquidation Commission from Cross Gates, Leeds, and Altrincham, Cheshire, to the shell-filling factory at Thonock, near Gains-borough whether he is aware that the shells could be conveniently conveyed by rail; whether he has approached the Disposal and Liquidation Commission with a view to inducing them to make it a condition of the sale of the ammunition that it shall be conveyed to the filling factory by rail; and whether he is aware that any loss entailed by the Government in the introduction of such a condition would be amply recouped by the saving of expenditure upon road maintenance which is borne by the Road Fund of the Ministry of Transport and the funds of local authorities?
Mr. YOUNGWith regard to the first part of the question, inquiries have been made, and I am advised that there is little or no damage directly traceable to the traffic in question on the roads referred to. With regard to the second part of the question, the relative cost of transport by rail was prohibitive. The answer to the remainder of the question is in the negative.