Freightliners (Hansard, 17 January 1968)

§ 33. Mr. Bagier
asked the Minister of Transport when the first stage of the freightliner grid will be complete.

§ Mr. John Morris
The first stage of the freightliner grid was completed with the opening of terminals at Hull and Edinburgh, on 1st and 8th January, respectively.

§ Mr. Bagier
Would my hon. Friend say how many of these terminals have been placed in development districts?

§ Mr. Morris
Of these 15 terminals at the first stage, five are in development areas—Glasgow, Aberdeen, Newcastle, Stockton and Liverpool. Of course, the one in Cardiff is just outside a development area.

Mr. Edward M. Taylor
Bearing in mind the exciting news about freightliner service, is it not a shame that the Minister was not able to stand by British Railways and allow them themselves to keep this wonderful new service instead of letting it go away under the Transport Bill?

§ Mr. Morris
The shame should be upon the Opposition. My right hon. Friend was trying every possible means to open these terminals, and eventually succeeded—[HON. MEMBERS "After two years."]—in spite of the taunts and derision from hon. Members opposite. That is where the shame should be. I am sure the whole House should be encouraged by the decisive step she was eventually able to take, after a good deal of discussion, to get the terminals open.

§ 34. Mr. Bagier
asked the Minister of Transport what is the weight of traffic now being carried by the freightliner grid.

§ Mr. John Morris
The freightliner grid is now carrying traffic at the rate of about two million tons a year, or 4,000 containers a week.

§ Mr. Bagier
Would my hon. Friend not agree that the growth in this traffic will help to provide a greater amount of stability for the railwaymen working in the industry? Will he urge the Minister to press on with the second stage as quickly as possible in extending these facilities?

§ Mr. Morris
I am grateful to my hon. Friend. This growth in traffic, which Js very substantial, must bring great encouragement to my right hon. Friend, and satisfaction to the railwayman, whose confidence in the Minister's arguments that the opening of the terminals would bring general benefit to the railwaymen, was rightly placed. I am sure that hon. Members on the opposite side of the House should be rightly and properly ashamed of their taunts and derision over a long period of time.

§ 36. Mr. Peter Walker
asked the Minister of Transport if she obtained the advice of the Morris Committee on the proposal to remove the freightliner business from British Railways.

§ Mr. Swingler
It is misleading to suggest that the freightliner business is to be removed from British Railways. Paragraphs 17–20 of Cmnd. 3470 make it clear that the Railways Board will retain a very substantial interest in the freightliners after the National Freight Corporation is set up. Although the Joint Steering Group's terms of reference did not include the relationship between the N.F.C. and the B.RB. my right hon. Friend has consulted a number of persons on her proposal, including some who are also members of the Group.

§ Mr. Peter Walker
In view of the fact that the group is now being broken up by the Minister, would the Minister have any objection to the individual members of that group expressing publicly their views upon the National Freight Authority set-up?

§ Mr. Swingler
My right hon. Friend consulted the members of the group confidentially, as, indeed, she did others. Naturally, this does not prevent members of the group from expressing an opinion in public about the policies my right hon. Friend has outlined in her White Paper, but clearly, the nature of the discussions she had with them remains confidential.

§ Mr. James Johnson
In view of the nonsense being talked by the Opposition in this matter, will the Minister feel slightly happier if I tell him that the freightliner terminal at West Hull is a success and that the whole of Humber- 1778 side, businessmen included, are very happy about this one?

§ Mr. Swingler
I am very glad to hear what my hon. Friend has said. As my hon. Friend the Joint Parliamentary Secretary made clear earlier, the freightliner network is being developed, and developed rapidly. It is a great combined rail-road operation, and it is up to the National Freight Authority to sell it to the maximum extent.