Road Transport Topics in Parliament
Page 37
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The Civil Defence Bill from the
Transport Angle
By our Special Parliamentary Correspondent
THE Civil Defence Bill, which was debated in the House of Commons and given a second reading last week, carries the legislation dealing with defensive arrangements much farther than the Air Raid Precautions Act, 1937. There are several clauses of special interest to road transport.
Clause 40 releases a local authority from the statutory obligations to cause an area to be lighted when the lights on highways, etc., are dimmed or extinguished for the purpose of A.R.P.
exercises and tests. This section is deemed to have had effect as from the commencement of the 1937 Act.
COMMANDEERING VEHICLES FOR DEFENCE DUTIES.
IN Clause 48, which deals with the requisition of premises and vehicles, the Minister, when hostile attack appears imminent, may declare the provisions of the section to be in operation. Under such an order, any local authority may take possession of any vehicle; and use it in the discharge of any of its civil defence functions, provided that the _consent of the traffic commissioners for the area has previously been obtained, or that arrangements.have been made, with the approval of the traffic commissioners, between the :owner of the vehicle and the local authority. „ , The local authority. may remove any property in the Vehicle arid may take necessary steps to ptieit in a usable condition. A fine not exceeding £100 is the penalty for refusal or obstruction, whilst provision is made for the payment of compensation " as Parliament may hereafter determine." The duration of an order under the clause is for three months.
Clause 50 gives the Minister power to acquire plant and materials for the repair of roads and bridges damaged by hostile attack, and to do what appears to him necessary for their storage, preservation and transport. Expenses are to be defrayed out of money provided by Parliament.
COMPENSATION PROPOSALS.
IN moving the second reading of the Civil Defence Bill, Sir John Anderson, the Lord Privy Seal, said the compensation to be paid under Clause 48, under war condifons, was left at large and for emergency legislation.
Qbviously the terms of compensation in respect of action taken in a period immediately prior to a war emergency should be determined in accordance with the principles applied to action taken in the war emergency, and for that reason the matter was left to later determination. If action were taken under Clause 48 and the war emergency did not supervene, Parliament would provide for compensation on the lines laid down in Part II of the Bill. This refers to Clause 43, under which the occupier of premises shall be entitled to recover from the local authority the damage he has sustained, etc.
UNDERGROUND CAR-PARK SHELTERS.
WITH regard to the provision by " local authorities of underground car parks which might be adapted for use as shelters, the extra cost of so adapting them might rank for grants in accordance with the provisions of the Air Road Precautions Act, 1937.
He did not think, however, that this would lead to any wholesale scheme of underground car parks, because the technical advice he had received had not proved very encouraging.
CONVERTED COACHES AS AMBULANCES.
REFERRING to Scottish hospital services, Mr. Wedderburn, the Under Secretary of 'State for Scotland, said that arrangements had been made with the Scottish Motor Traction Co. for the conversion, if necessary, of 75 standard buses into ambulances, each to carry eight stretcher cases. The company had made the necessary fittings, which were being held in readiness. The authorities were considering many other plans for the conversion of other vehicles.
Discussing the earmarking of road transport, Mr. Burgin declared that no local authority would have any road transport in any area unless he went to the Traffic Commissioners and ear marked it, He also made reference to arrangements for the adaptation of a number of Green Line. coaches as ambulances.
FUEL RATIONING THROUGH GROUPS.
THE railways, Mr. Burgin continued, would be controlled by the Government from the moment of the outbreak of war. He recapitulated the arrangements for the requisitioning of vehicles and the provisions for having in store reserves of bridge and road-making material.
He was hoping, he said, that the proprietors of goods vehicles all over the country would realize the importance of grouping themselves, because there would be a drain on the oil resources of the country and the petrol wpuld be rationed through groups.
The Bill was read a second time and committed to a committee of the whole House.
PRESENT OIL ENGINES UNSUITABLE FOR AIRCRAFT.
REPLYING to a question in connection with oil engines for aircraft, Captain Balfour, Under Secretary of State for Air, stated that progress was being made in the research, which was being conducted by several engine concerns with a view to developing the compression-ignition engine, but no type had so far been produced which could compare favourably with the petrol engine in technical performance requirements.
It was not proposed to install this type of engine in civil airliners at present under construction for trans-ocean services. Experiments were being continued.
ROAD-SCHEME PROGRESS.
vAi-ITH regard to two important road V V schemes, Mr. Burgin stated that he hoped the Crawley By-pass would be open to traffic in Junenext, and that the extension of Western Avenue would be completed in about two years.
PRODUCER GAS AT AN •
ADVANTAGE.
ON the subject of alternative fuels, Captain Crookshank, Secretary of Mines, stated that the question of the use for transport in an emergency of substitute fuels, such as producer gas, was under active consideration. As regards commercial development, producer gas vehicles operated in this particular respect at a considerable advantage because the fuel was duty free. For the heavier types of vehicle there was the further advantage that the rate of vehicle duty was lower than that for vehicles using petrol or fuel oil.