§ 4. Mrs. Knightasked the Minister of Transport if she will give a general direction to British Railways that they should undertake a review of their procedures for the carriage of parcels, with a view to speeding up the service.
§ Mr. John MorrisNo, Sir. The Railways Board is fully alive to the need to do everything possible to improve its parcels and sundries services and to coordinate them with those of B.R.S. (Parcels) Ltd.
§ Mrs. KnightThe hon. Gentleman's answer of "No" will be widely regarded with dismay because the gross inefficiency of this section of British Rail's services frequently hampers the fulfilment of orders within a given period, which is gravely hampering all industries, particularly those concerned with exports.
§ Mr. MorrisI hope that I can count on the support of the hon. Lady when the Transport Bill comes back to the Floor of the House. British Railways are aware of the difficulties of the present situation and have set up their Freight Sundries Division. There is a joint parcels organisation set up with the T.H.C., and the National Freight Corporation will set up a properly integrated service for this type of freight.
§ Mr. BrooksCould my hon." Friend indicate how far the Transport Bill will rationalise the procedure for the carrying of parcels where there are two overlapping public bodies?
§ Mr. MorrisI do not want to go into details on this, but the National Freight Corporation will provide for an integrated sundries service. Passenger parcels will remain with the British Railways Board.