HC Deb 19 May 1971 vol 817 cc1243-4
2. Mr. Robert Hughes

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek powers to allow the Railways Board to offer concessionary fares to retirement pensioners on social grounds across the board's administrative regional boundaries.

The Under-Secretary of State for the Environment (Mr. Eldon Griffiths)

No. Sir.

Mr. Hughes

Is the Minister aware that it costs my constituents £1.05p. more to travel from Aberdeen to York and back than it does for a passenger to travel from York to Aberdeen and back? Does he not agree that as this pricing policy bears heavily on old-age pensioners a method of mitigating this ridiculous pricing policy would be by a concessionary fares scheme? In the light of this, is he not prepared to reconsider his answer?

Mr. Griffiths

Pricing policy must be a matter for the Railways Board, which is required statutorily—by the Statute of the previous Government—to pay its way. Old-age pensioners' concessions are for the Railways Board, but I believe it is much better for individual assistance to come through the social security mechanism and not through the railways.