§ Mr. OLDFIELDasked the Minister of Transport whether he has considered the representations from the inhabitants of Laindon and district protesting against the refusal of the traffic commissioner to grant running powers to the Southend express services; and what action he proposes to take in the matter?
§ Mr. PARKINSONThe company concerned are exercising their right of appeal to my right hon. Friend and he proposes, in due course, to arrange for an inquiry to be held into the matter.
§ Sir P. DAWSONasked the Minister of Transport whether, in cases where railway 1028W companies oppose the granting of licences to competing suburban and inter-urban road transport, the quality of the service provided by the railway company and the question whether the railway company are taking any steps to give adequate service to the travelling public will be taken into consideration?
§ Mr. PARKINSONUnder the provisions of Section 72 of the Road Traffic Act, 1930, the Traffic Commissioners, in the exercise of their discretion to grant or to refuse a road service licence, are required to have regard, amongst other matters, to the needs of the area as a whole in relation to traffic (including the provision of adequate, suitable and efficient services, the elimination of unnecessary services and the provision of unremunerative services) and the coordination of all forms of passenger transport, including transport by rail.
§ Mr. DAYasked the Minister of Transport whether any decision has now been arrived at as to the procedure to be adopted for the hearing of appeals against the decision of the traffic commissioners; and will he give particulars?
§ Mr. HERBERT MORRISONThe Public Service Vehicles (Licences and Certificates) Provisional Regulations, 1931, of which I am sending my hon. Friend a copy, require that an appeal shall be made in writing within one month of the date of the decision appealed against and shall state the grounds on which it is made. They also provide that a copy of the appeal shall be sent to the traffic commissioners concerned and to any objector or to the applicant, as the case may be. The appeal will be heard at an inquiry before a representative appointed by me for that purpose, and all parties concerned will be notified of the time and place at which the inquiry is to be held. The traffic commissioners will not be represented at the inquiry, but will be asked to furnish me with a statement in the form of observations on the appeal, indicating shortly the grounds of their decision and any conclusions of fact at which they had arrived. A copy of this statement will be forwarded to each of the parties before any inquiry is opened.