§ 42. Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consult the Minister of Transport to devise a way, fiscal or otherwise, of mitigating the hardship imposed on workers who now have to pay higher fares for transport to and from work and whose net incomes are thereby reduced accordingly.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterAs regards Government action to limit increases in the fares charged by the British Transport Commission, I cannot add to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21st April. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer is not prepared to initiate fiscal measures to offset reductions in individual net incomes due to higher fares for transport.
§ 48. Mr. E. Fletcherasked the Prime Minister what steps Her Majesty's Government will take under the Transport Act, 1947, to remedy the present injustice to the travelling public of London who are called upon to pay substantially higher fares than the rest of the country.
§ 49. Mr. Ernest Daviesasked the Prime Minister if he will give an assurance that such sub-standard fares as are to be retained by the British Transport Commission outside London will be made applicable equally to all the Commission's services including those within the London Transport area.
§ The Prime MinisterA statement on these matters will be made at the opening of the debate on Monday. But, meanwhile, I can assure hon. Members that we are doing our best to protect the travelling public.