Mr George Isaacs: Thanks for the lecture.
Mr George Isaacs: I am grateful to the Joint Parliamentary Secretary for giving me notice that we were likely to reach this subject a little earlier than had been expected and I thank him for being here to answer me. I wish to raise matters arising out of Answers given to me by the Minister on 26th March when I raised the question of the surfacing of the Elephant and Castle area. There were two points in his...
Mr George Isaacs: Does the hon. Gentleman have any experience? Have any roads in London been down long enough for them to come to the end of the life of mastic asphalt, for example?
Mr George Isaacs: I am grateful for all the facts and figures which the hon. Gentleman has given. They will, I assure him, be considered by the maintenance authority, which may perhaps find some comfort in what he has said.
Mr George Isaacs: asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if his attention has been drawn to the large stop and direction lights on cars recently coming on to the roads fitted with lamps of a very high power which, in the hours of darkness, dazzle the drivers of following cars; and if, in the interests of road safety, he is now ready to make regulations laying down a maximum brilliance of such...
Mr George Isaacs: Does the Minister realise that we are grateful for the action he has taken to meet this very great inconvenience? I saw a car the other night with a stop light 4 in. across. It had a warship searchlight in it instead of a bulb. This is a terrible menace. I am sure that all motorists who have to drive at night will be grateful when action is taken.
Mr George Isaacs: While he is looking into the question of lights on vehicles, will the Minister give attention to the present-day stop and direction lights, which on a number of vehicles are almost like headlights and can be blinding?
Mr George Isaacs: asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation the cost of providing and constructing new roads and bringing into conformity with the new scheme the existing roads in the Elephant and Castle area.
Mr George Isaacs: asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what were the recommendations made to him by the London County Council and the Southwark Borough Council on the choice of surfacing material on the carriageways in the new Elephant and Castle area before the decision was made that part of the carriageways should be of mastic asphalt and part of hot rolled asphalt; what is the estimated cost...
Mr George Isaacs: May I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether the £13,000 extra cost on a total of £1½ million is worth all this trouble, in view of the undoubted fact that the use of hot rolled asphalt will mean that the road will require resurfacing in much less time than if mastic asphalt is used? In view of the amount and nature of traffic that will use this road compared with the present time, is it...
Mr George Isaacs: Regarding the argument about the polished road, if we put this where buses stop and start, we shall polish the road. Will it lessen the danger to traffic on that account? In view of the fact that I have given the right hon. Gentleman time to deploy his arguments and consult his experts, I beg to give notice that I shall raise this matter on the Motion for the Adjournment at the earliest...
Mr George Isaacs: I do not know what the attitude of the Government will be, or whether I am pushing at an open door.
Mr George Isaacs: Those remarks may clear up the doubts of my hon. Friend the Member for Ladywood (Mr. V. Yates). I am perfectly sure that committing an offender to prison but suspending the sentence pending the continuation of payments has been of great value and has kept many men out of prison. However, there are occasions on which the Bill will not help. In the area which I have been privileged to serve...
Mr George Isaacs: Es it not correct that in the case of motor vehicles there is an alarming jump in the number of casualties after 10 p.m.?
Mr George Isaacs: Can the Minister say if there are any records showing what percentage of accidents arise after the closing time of the public houses at night?
Mr George Isaacs: Before I ask the right hon. Gentleman one or two questions, I should like to preface them with the comment that the Measure which set up the Dock Labour Scheme was passed with good will on both sides of the House. It was one of those occasions when both parties worked in unison to secure the best they could out of legislation. The fact that the scheme has now suffered four inquiries since it...
Mr George Isaacs: May I say that I accept what the Minister has said and that I entirely agree with his attitude on that point? There were some recommendations for and against, and I had some doubts as to whether extending this scheme in the way which was suggested might not bring with it some dangers. I think that the right hon. Gentleman has been quite right in his decision.
Mr George Isaacs: Now we are getting at it.
Mr George Isaacs: Did the right hon. Gentleman also underestimate the speed at which the landlords would ask for more rent?
Mr George Isaacs: asked the Minister of Labour what result has been obtained by the Borough Employment Exchange in its efforts to recruit workers for the coal mines.
