HC Deb 18 April 1973 vol 855 cc479-81
15. Mr. Leslie Huckfield

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will now publish his White Paper on the future of the railway system.

Mr. Peyton

I have nothing to add to my reply to the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull, West (Mr. James Johnson) on 14th February—[Vol. 850, c. 343.]

Mr. Huckfield

Is not the Minister aware that, with a management reorganisation only half completed, with the advanced passenger train perhaps two years behind, and with the Railway Board's willingness completely to shuffle off commuter railway services to the new metropolitan counties, thousands of railwaymen and millions of railway passengers need some certainty injected into their lives? When will the Minister do that?

Mr. Peyton

I do not accept the multitude of premises with which the hon. Gentleman preceded his question, but I entirely appreciate the need for clarification. The problem is complicated and difficult. A statement will be made to Parliament as soon as possible.

Mr. J. H. Osborn

Will the White Paper include information about expanding the electrification of railways, bearing in mind the likely shortages of diesel fuel over the next 15 years? Will it include the need for higher-speed inter-city services, such as I have seen in Japan in the past few weeks?

Mr. Peyton

I should not like to anticipate the contents of the paper, whether white or green, but it will, of course, be comprehensive.

Mr. Mulley

Can the Minister give us no indication of the likely date of publication? The matter is one of great public concern and causes anxiety, which was unfortunately fostered by leaks from his Department. There is great public concern about the future of the railways. The matter affects the planning of roads and all manner of things. Will publication be before Whitsun? Will not the Minister at least commit himself roughly to a date when the great public interest in the subject can at least begin to focus on positive proposals?

Mr. Peyton

I understand the right hon. Gentleman's anxiety. I should not like to give a firm commitment, but I hope that publication will be before the Summer Recess.

Mr. Bagier

Does the Minister agree that great concern was caused by the somewhat premature disclosure of a document which came to his Department about the possible future size of the railway network? Does he appreciate that in the absence of a White Paper giving some idea of the future size there is great concern about lines such as that between Sunderland and Middlesbrough and various others which it was suggested could be closed?

Mr. Peyton

I have said time without number that the document which leaked, and which was accompanied in its subsequent publication by a wholly unauthorised map, had no official foundation whatever.