§ 45. Dr. Ernest A. Daviesasked the Minister of Transport what action is being taken in advance of the establishment of the National Freight Organisation to co-ordinate the publicly owned rail and road freight services.
§ Mrs. CastleAs I told my hon. Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (Mr. Gardner) on 21st December, the British Railways Board is, with my agreement, separating out its freight sundries business into a new Freight Sundries Division.—[Vol. 738, c. 337.] This is an essential step towards the establishment of a unified service with B.R.S. (Parcels) Ltd., which will become part of the national freight organisation. In addition, as I told the House yesterday, agreement has now been reached that the Railways Board shall, as a further step towards integration, become joint owners of Tartan Arrow with the Transport Holding Company.—[Vol. 742, c. 1264.]
§ Dr. DaviesIs my right hon. Friend aware that such integration is very welcome, and that she is to be congratulated on the way in which she has carried it through? Can she say when the Tartan Arrow parcels service will be integrated with the new joint service for parcels and sundries to which she referred?
§ Mrs. CastleMy hon. Friend is, of course, right. We are taking immediate steps towards integration. Indeed, the British Railways Board and the Transport Holding Company have already set up a joint parcels organisation to promote closer inter-working in the parcels and sundries field and they will be making an immediate start on the integration of Tartan Arrow with those services.