§ 48. Mr. Fortescueasked the Minister of Transport whether, in view of the Liverpool bus strike and the fact that bus services will be much reduced in Liverpool when the strike is over, he will reconsider the proposal that the Liverpool-Gateacre suburban railway line should be closed.
§ Mr. CarmichaelNo, Sir. My right hon. Friend has no power to reverse his predecessor's decision. But the closure cannot take place unless and until the additional bus services specified in the conditions of consent set out in the Department's letter of 21st April, 1966, are available.
§ Mr. FortescueIs the Parliamentary Secretary aware that every train on this line has been packed by commuters and others for the last nine weeks and the five single-decker buses proposed to replace them will be entirely inadequate? Will the Minister show a little flexibility and admit that the decision made by his predecessor to close this line was shortsighted and wrong?
§ Mr. CarmichaelThe question of reversal of a decision is of course not possible statutorily, but on the question of the numbers travelling it may of course be necessary to revise the number of buses put on to replace the trains.