I rise to oppose the Motion. I think my hon. Friend admitted that he is only concerned to-day to make a demonstration. He said that Parliament had cast a duty upon the London Passenger Transport Board to run a service. The terms in the Act were, "to run a service if they thought fit," and it is clear that they have thought not fit. My hon. Friend has referred to the possibility of conditions of war. If we are to consider exceptional conditions such as would arise in an emergency, it is for the Government to supply the initiative, and I have no reason whatsoever to doubt that the London Passenger Transport Board would give every assistance in their power. My hon. Friend has not asked that the London County Council. should have concurrent powers. What he has asked is that powers should be restored to them by taking those powers away from the London Passenger Transport Board. Of course, statutory bodies, in order to run a service, must have statutory powers.

I want to make it clear that the powers that we are discussing to-day are not in any sense exclusive powers. It is perfectly possible, without any statutory impediment, for private enterprise to run a service to-day provided that it satisfies the regulations of the Board of Trade and the Port of London Authority with regard to the safety of the craft. There is no monopoly at all. With regard to piers, the piers are in existence, and there is a right for anyone to embark or disembark at those piers on payment of the appropriate tolls. My hon. Friend referred to the report of the London and Home Counties Traffic Advisory Committee of 1934. That body, after holding a public inquiry and hearing a great mass of evidence, came no this among other conclusions. They said: We are not convinced that any regular service would attract sufficient traffic to be self-sup porting.'' In view of that, and very likely for other reasons, too, there has been no desire whatever evinced by the London County Council to have these powers restored to them. My hon. Friend referred to the experience that the county council has enjoyed. Their experience was this. In 1905 they began a service of passenger steamers, which they abandoned in 1907. In 1920 the highways committee of the county council reported against a revival of the service. In 1933 the county council quite cheerfully agreed to the transfer of their powers to the Passenger Transport