CAB129-53 — Page 68

46

Transport

67

Page 68

15 & 16 GEO. 6

& 1 ELIZ. 2

$

A.D. 1952

4TH SCH. -cont.

PART II

Savings

1. The repeal of sections fifty-two and fifty-three, section fifty-six, subsection (2) of section fifty-seven, section fifty-eight, subsections (1) and (3) to (6) of section sixty, sections sixty-one and sixty-two of the 5 Transport Act, 1947, and the said definitions in section one hundred and twenty-five of that Act except that of “superimposed trailer ", shall not have effect. until the appointed day.

2. The proviso to subsection (3) of section one of this Act shall apply in relation to the repeal of the provisions of the Transport Act, 10 1947, which relate to the acquisition of certain road transport under- takings by the Commission as it applies in relation to the provisions of that subsection.

3. The repeal of section fifty-nine of the Transport Act, 1947, shall be subject to the provisions of subsections (2) and (3) of section six 15

of this Act.

163-5

3

CONFIDENTIAL

Transport

DRAFT

OF A

BILL

said Commission; Act, 1883; and for purposes connected to amend other provisions thereof; amend section six of the Cheap. Trains provisions of the Transport Act, 1947, and powers and composition, duties of the and to amend the law relating to the ⚫ railways operated by the said Commission to provide for the reorganisation of the purposes, on motor vehicles used on roads; of the said Commission and for other and to provide for a levy, for the benefit relating to the carriage of goods by road Haulage Executive; to amend the law which is carried on through the Road the purposes of the part of their undertaking to dispose of the property held by them for To require the British Transport Commission repeal certain

to

with the matters aforesaid.

to

CCXVIII—J (5)

19th June, 1952

(77138)

}

Page 68

Page 68

139/53

(THIS DOCURage 162 of 253PROPERTY OF HER BRITANNIC MAJEPage690£25μMENT)

CONFIDENTIAL

C. (52) 205.

19th JUNE, 1952.

CABINET

COPY NO.

プ

68

TRANSPORT BILL

Memorandum by the Secretary of State for Scotland.

I am concerned about the position of Scotland under the Transport

Bill and I would like the Cabinet to consider it.

In our publication "Scottish Control of Scottish Affairs", which was specifically endorsed before the last election, we said:-

3.

"It is essential that there should be effective control by our own people in Scotland of those parts of nationalised industries and services which operate in Scotland... In rail transport we propose a separate Scottish board co-ordinated with the board in England. The board would be responsible in Scotland to the Minister of Transport in exactly the same way as the English board would be in England. "

More recently, the Scottish Council, which is a completely representative and non-political body, has proposed the establishment of a Scottish Transport Authority which would be responsible to the British Transport Commission for the operation in Scotland of all the Commission's undertakings. The Commission's railway and bus interests in Scotland must, for geographical reasons, be closely linked with one another if travellers are to get an efficient service and, for this reason, the proposal to bring them under co-ordinated management has been widely approved.

4.

I am satisfied with the provision made in clause 15 for the constitution of a railway authority for Scotland, to which would be delegated such functions of the Commission relating to the railways as the scheme to be prepared by the Commission and approved by the Minister may specify. I recognise that for practical reasons the administration of the Scottish railways cannot be divorced from that of the railways in England and Wales; and provision for consultation with the Secretary of State should ensure that in dealing with the Commission's scheme the Minister takes Scottish interests fully into account.

5.

But if we go no further we are bound to be criticised on the ground that effective control, not only of the railways but of the Commission's other Scottish interests, rests with a body resident in London and influenced in its consideration of policy by its major English interests. I think we would have an effective answer to this criticism if we were to insert in the Bill without altering clause 15 a new clause based on section 2 of the Sea Fish Industry Act, 1951, requiring the appointment by the Minister of a Scottish Committee, whose chairman would be a member of the Commission, and whose function would be to give "advice to the Commission about the exercise and performance of their flagéng of 253pects Scctl. and and matters particularly Racing0€ 253and

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