§ 7. Mr. Ellisasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will issue a general direction to British Railways to ensure the continued and efficient working of mineral-carrying branch lines when employment in industries served by such lines is immediately and directly affected by restriction of their working and in particular by their closure.
§ Mr. EllisIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that in my constituency, which has a male unemployment rate of over 7 per cent., a local quarry company was obliged to dismiss 25 of its workmen because of a decision by British Railways first to increase substantially their charges for the carrying of minerals and, secondly, to close within a few months the branch line serving the quarry?
In view of the efforts which the Government claim they are making to improve the unemployment situation, may I ask the Minister to appreciate that a small but appropriate and simple remedy in this instance would be for him to have a word with British Railways and get them to agree, first, to keep; pen this branch line and, next, to reduce their exorbitant freight rates?
§ Mr. PeytonWhile I have every sympathy with the background which the hon. Gentleman has outlined, I nevertheless have no powers to direct British Railways on this subject. It must be a management decision whether to withdraw a freight service, which in the 1369 instance which the hon. Gentleman has in mind, I believe, is totally unprofitable.