>12. Mr. Dempsey askedthe Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give a general direction to British Railways to install telecommunications in long-distance trains: and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. PeytonNo, Sir.
§ Mr. DempseyDoes not the right hon. Gentleman appreciate that increasing numbers of visitors, such as Americans and Canadians, are using the Glasgow trains to the South as a means of seeing the country? Would it not be sensible to have a system of inter-communication on these trains whereby points of interest, scenic areas and the principal cities could be explained to visitors? Would not this encourage more use of the trains?
§ Mr. PeytonI would have thought that such matters could be explained to visitors without necessarily installing a telephone on every train. But the question of the installation of such telephones is entirely a matter for the Railways Board, and the provision of facilities necessary to back up those telephones is a matter for the Post Office.