asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that wholesale potato merchants in Bolton have been advised by the regional traffic officer that no part of their fuel issue may be used for carrying potatoes by road from the Eastern Counties or Yorkshire; and, in view of the fact that rail traffic demands the use of jute bags which are in short supply, and that these merchants have equipped themselves with suitable vehicles at great expense to handle this traffic, if he will take steps to annul this order.

The district transport officer's instruction was due to a misunderstanding. As soon as this was discovered the instruction was cancelled and the Bolton Potato Merchants' Association so informed.

Is the Minister aware that this confusion and the loss of £10 million to the taxpayer is due to interference by the Ministry of Food with the law of supply and demand, especially with potatoes?

I do not recognise the figure of £10 million in connection with this issue.

asked the Minister of Transport what is the average time lapse between shipping of freights and payment made by Government Departments.

In general Government Departments make their shipping arrangements through ordinary commercial channels and I am therefore concerned only with freight payments made by my own Department. These are very small in amount and number, and are usually made within a week of the date of receiving claims.

Although the Minister says these cases are very small in number, is he aware that in many cases there is a great deal more delay than one week, and that it is placing some small shipping companies in great difficulty? Is he aware that this is a very bad example for the British Government to set?

Is the hon. Member referring to claims on my own Department? If so, and if he has any specific case in mind, I will look into it. If it affects another Department, he should put the Question to the Minister concerned.

I will put it to one Department or the other.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will make a regulation to prohibit vehicles other than buses from drawing up or parking within ten yards of an authorised bus stop and thus prevent the dislocation of bus queues.

Bus stop markings on the carriageway are being laid at a number of busy bus stops and experience shows that these are sufficient to discourage parking at such places. I do not propose to make a regulation at present.

Will my right hon. Friend expedite the marking of these bus stops in the way he suggests because a great deal of distress is being caused, particularly to women, children and old persons, as a result of the dislocation caused by unnecessary parking?

This is largely a matter for the initiative of local authorities, They know my general views on the subject.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that a number of bus drivers are very careless in pulling up at the stops themselves, and in the interests of the passengers, as well as of any regulation he makes, will he draw the attention of the Board to this, as the regulation would otherwise be useless?

Yes, although that is rather a different question.

When he is considering this matter, will the Minister bear in mind that very often vehicles loading and unloading goods have to pull up adjacent to a bus stop and that due consideration should be given to the drivers of those vehicles?

Yes. As a matter of fact, general experience is that drivers are fairly careful to avoid such places as far as possible.

asked the Minister of Transport if his attention has been drawn to the danger to pedestrians in Sandhills Lane, Thorpe, Surrey, owing to there being no footpath; and when is it intended that a footpath shall be constructed.

Yes, Sit. The Surrey County Council, with whom the initiative rests as local highway authority, had a proposal for a footpath under consideration about a year ago, but it was not then found possible to provide for the scheme within the Road Fund estimates. Any application the council may now make for a grant will have my sympathetic consideration.

Is the Minister aware that it is considerably more than a year ago—in 1947—that the first application was made? Having now indicated that he would approve a grant, would the Minister accelerate this very necessary grant so that it can be made as soon as possible?

I did not indicate that I would approve a grant. I said it would receive my sympathetic consideration.

asked the Minister of Transport what official representations he has received on the inadequacy of his policy towards financing programmes of highway maintenance; whether he is satisfied that his grants are sufficient to ensure a reasonable standard of highway repair; and if he will make a statement.

Since I informed highway authorities in January of the grants likely to be made from the Road Fund towards the cost of maintenance of classified roads in 1949–50, two associations of local authorities and a few individual authorities have represented to me that the proposed grants will be inadequate for the satisfactory maintenance of the roads. I regret that existing economic conditions do not permit a larger provision but it is an advance on that for the financial year just ended and should enable the most important requirements to be reasonably well met.

I am sure the general public will be reassured by the interest that my right hon. Friend is showing in this matter.

asked the Minister of Transport if, in the interests of road safety, and in view of the improved supply position, he will now use his powers under the Road Traffic Acts of 1930 and 1934 to issue regulations requiring pedal cycles to be fitted with two efficient brakes and a bell.

Regulations to give effect to the recommendations of the Committee on Road Safety on this subject are under consideration.

Can my right hon. Friend give any indication as to how long that consideration is likely to take? Is he aware that in towns like Cambridge, where the number of cyclists in proportion to the population is very large, the defective brakes on pedal cycles are sometimes direct and frequently contributory causes of accidents? One recently was fatal.

No, I am afraid I cannot at the moment put any time to the examination of this problem.