§ Sir C. Edwardsasked the Minister of Fuel and Power if his attention has been called to the bad state of railway trucks carrying coal and the urgent need of repairs to them; if he is aware of the complaints of customers about short weight in their supplies, much of which is due to this cause; and what steps he intends to take to rectify this matter.
Major Lloyd GeorgeYes, Sir, both my Noble Friend the Minister of War Transport and I are aware that owing to the shortage of man-power and the more intensive use of wagons it has not been possible to maintain the normal rate of repair of railway wagons. Special attention is, however, being given to this problem and to a scheme for patch repairs to be carried out at the collieries. I am also aware of a number of complaints about short weight which may be due to this cause. The steps which are being taken to improve the standard of wagon repairs will at the same time reduce these losses.