§ Mr. MURRELLasked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that on the 11th December, 1923, the Greyhound Motors, Limited, of Bristol, applied to the Clevedon urban district council for licences for three omnibuses for a service from Clevedon to Bristol; that the council decided to grant three licences to this company, and three to the Bristol Tramways Company in lieu of the six as heretofore held by them; that the Bristol Tramways Company appealed against this decision; that an inquiry was held at Bristol on the 1st April by an official from the Ministry of Transport; that it was stated at the inquiry that the result of it should be made known to the interested persons in about a fortnight; that, pend- 1145W ing the decision, the Clevedon council, rescinded their resolution granting the three licences to the Greyhound Motor Company; that, nothing further being heard from the Ministry, the clerk to the Clevedon council wrote on 3rd May that no reply was received; that, in response to a telegram sent on the 12th May, the council was advised that the present position should be continued until the decision was given; that a further letter addressed to the Ministry on the 7th June has not been replied to; will he explain the delay in dealing with this important matter and state when a decision will be given; and why his Department has not replied to those letters?
§ Mr. GOSLINGThe facts are substantially as stated in the question. A decision on this particular appeal has had to be withheld, as it was one of several involving the question of the control of omnibus services in Bristol and its neighbourhood. The letter of 7th June, to which the hon. Member refers, was acknowledged, but it was not possible to send a definite answer until a decision could be given. The decision will, in fact, be announced during the course of the present week.