§ 98 and 101. Mr. Boyd-Carpenterasked the Minister of Transport (1) whether he is taking any action to ensure that persons previously able to use workmen's tickets on suburban railway services and who are now unable to do so by reason of staggered hours arrangements, shall continue to have the advantage of the use of such tickets;
(2) whether he has considered the position of persons normally using workmen's tickets on suburban services of the main line railways who have found themselves unable to make use of these tickets by reason of an alteration of their hours of work; and what action he proposes to take in the matter.
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport (Mr. James Callaghan)Yes, Sir. I would refer the hon. Member to the statement attached to the answer which I gave to my hon. Friend, the Member for Bexley (Mr. Bramall), on 1st December. I am sending the hon. Member a copy.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterWithout wishing to trouble the Parliamentary Secretary to send me a copy of an answer I have already read, may I ask him if he can tell me whether that answer means that any person who previously was able to obtain these tickets, will now be able to obtain them on producing a certificate from his employer?
§ Mr. CallaghanThe hon. Member may have read the answer, but he quite clearly could not have understood it. It makes it quite clear that for all workers whose hours have been rearranged owing to power-load alterations, the revised conditions will be in their favour.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterCan the Parliamentary Secretary say whether that covers those people whose hours may have been changed only indirectly?
§ Mr. CallaghanIt covers those people affected by the alterations in the power-load which results in the staggering of their hours.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterDirectly or indirectly?