HC Deb 11 April 1962 vol 657 cc1311-2
43. Mr. L. Thomas

asked the Minister of Transport what is the total planned capital expenditure on British Railways for the year 1962 under the modernisation plan.

Mr. Marples

The maximum allocation made to the British Transport Commission for investment in British Railways and their associated activities—including hotels and catering services—in 1962 is £141.1 million.

Mr. Thomas

Whilst we all want to bring this modernisation plan forward as quickly as possible, may I ask whether my right hon. Friend would agree that, in view of the intensive and extensive traffic studies that are now being made with the object of reshaping the railways particularly—both physically and operationally—such enormous expenditure should be deferred until those studies are complete?

Mr. Marples

My hon. Friend really is on to a good point there, but when we have started modernisation on a certain scale and for a certain project we must complete it. I agree with my hon. Friend that future modernisation must rest on the longer-term planning that we have in mind, and on the traffic studies that are now going forward because, if we are to modernise, we want to modernise that part of the system that will be really effective.

Mr. Popplewell

Will the Minister stand firm against the suggestion of his hon. Friend? There has been far too much of this stopping and starting in regard to modernisation. It is extremely costly to the country, and is not in the best interests of the transport system as a whole.

Mr. Marples

There will be no stopping things that have already started, but the point is that when we have new starts they should be applicable to the system we shall have in the future, and not to modernising a 19th century system of railways.

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