HC Deb 28 April 1965 vol 711 cc425-6
20 and 21. Mr. Edward M. Taylor

asked the Minister of Transport (1) whether he will give a general direction, in the public interest, to the Railways Board to introduce a logical scale of charges for the transport of fish by passenger train;

(2) if he is aware that the revised charges for transporting fish by passenger train discriminate against Scottish interests; and if he will give a general direction, in the public interest, to the Railways Board that this situation be altered.

Mr. Tom Fraser

Charges for transporting fish by rail are a matter for the Railways Board. A general direction from me would not be appropriate. However, I understand that certain anomalies in charges for the carriage of fish in Scotland have recently been adjusted by the Board.

Mr. Taylor

Would not the right hon. Gentleman agree that a general direction would be appropriate in the circumstances, observing that only his personal intervention made the Railways Board change a crazy scale of charges under which fish from villages in west Scotland was charged more than double to Glasgow than from the same villages to London? Is he aware that in the area there have been very serious anomalies which do much damage to the Glasgow fish trade? Will he do something about it?

Mr. Fraser

I do not think that hon. Members will take the view that it would be appropriate for me to exercise my power of giving a general direction to the Railways Board, which is supposed to be a general direction in the national interest, so as to do something about charges in a particular area of the country. We must leave this to the Railways Board. I think that from time to time the Railways Board will probably take a decision which warrants reconsideration, and this was a decision which I think warranted reconsideration. However, I think that it would be proper if from time to time hon. Members would get into touch with the Railways Board to make inquiries about these matters, rather than get in touch with me.

Mr. Powell

Do we understand that in this instance the right hon. Gentleman has already made representations to the Railways Board?

Mr. Fraser

In this instance, when the hon. Member for Glasgow, Cathcart (Mr. Edward M. Taylor) tabled these Questions he also wrote to me, and, as happens when any hon. Member writes to me, I got in touch with the Railways Board about the matter. On this occasion I got a reply from the Railways Board in due course saying that it had reviewed and changed the charges to which the hon. Gentleman took exception.

Mr. Monro

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that this double increase in freight rates has caused great concern to the salmon fisheries of Dumfriesshire, and will he see that this costly mistake is not repeated?

Mr. Fraser

I cannot give an assurance that something that has been a mistake, but made by someone else, will not be repeated. I will be hard enough put to it to ensure that any mistakes which I make will not be repeated by myself.

Mr. Taylor

In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the right hon. Gentleman's reply, I beg to give notice that I will seek to raise the matter on the Adjournment.