§ 9. Mr. Gregor Mackenzieasked the Minister of Transport whether he will issue a general direction to British Railways to review their fares structure so as to ensure that passengers are treated on the same basis whichever part of the United Kingdom they buy tickets in.
§ Mr. Michael HeseltineNo, Sir.
§ Mr. MackenzieIs the hon. Gentleman aware that it costs £8 to travel from Glasgow to Birmingham but only £6 to travel from Birmingham to Glasgow? So it is much more expensive to get out of Scotland than to get into it. During the course of the last few weeks his hon. Friends have been suggesting that the Minister would take power to get rid of this peculiar type of anomaly.
§ Mr. HeseltineThe hon. Member will remember that this power arose out of a recommendation from the Prices and Incomes Board, which was accepted by the previous Administration, to give the British Railways Board flexibility so that they could take advantage of market conditions in fixing their prices.