Railway Policy

HC Deb 17 March 1976 vol 907 cc1307-9

12. Mr. Teddy Taylor

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a further statement on railway policy.

Mr. Marks

My right hon. Friend will be making a further statement at the conclusion of the transport policy review.

Mr. Taylor

Is the Minister aware that continued uncertainty over transport policy is having a pretty savage effect on railwaymen's morale, which is already at an all-time low? As the railways are being starved of adequate investment, will not the Minister and his colleagues agree that it would be in the nation's interest to abandon the present and future nationalisation programme so that sufficient investment is made available for industries which are already nationalised?

Mr. Marks

Investment in the railways this year is greater than it has been in any year since 1965. I am aware that railwaymen are awaiting the transport policy review. There has not been a review since 1968. The purpose of the review is to do away with doubt.

Mr. James Lamond

Is my hon. Friend aware that account must be taken of the loss of freight traffic to the railways and that a thorough investigation should be held into why that has occurred? We should bear in mind that the inter-city service is now faster and in real terms cheaper than at any time in the last 30 years.

Mr. Marks

I have seen the figures to which my hon. Friend refers. At one time a journey from Aberdeen to London cost approximately 80 per cent. of a man's weekly wage. Now it costs about 45 per cent. We are very concerned about the future of the railways. I am sure that when the review is published and the consultations take place, it will prove to be a valuable addition to our knowledge of the railways and to the future of railways and transport generally.

Sir John Hall

The Minister has said that investment in the railways this year is greater than it has been in any year since 1965. Is that in real terms? To what extent does it fall below British Rail's requirements for the year?

Mr. Marks

The answer to the first part of the hon. Gentleman's question is "Yes". I cannot say exactly how it compares with British Rail's requirements. It is below the programme destined for the years ahead.

Mr. Jay

Will this review cover the method of estimating future road traffic volumes? Some of us have doubts about the practice of basing the case for extensive road-building schemes on guesses about road traffic 20 years hence.

Mr. Marks

Yes.

Mr. Neubert

Does the Minister concur with Sir Richard Marsh's statement yesterday that British Rail's prime objective should be to make the maximum amount of money without regard to the effect on the travelling public?

Mr. Marks

If that was what Sir Richard said, I should not agree with it. I had not realised that he said that. We appreciate that public transport generally needs some assistance if it is to cater for those who do not have access to cars.

Mr. Ogden

Will my hon. Friend do his best to ensure that when the transport policy review is published some attempt will be made to make it available to Members of Parliament at least at the same time as it is made available to people in other professions outside the House?

Mr. Marks

The consultative paper will be published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office.

Mr. Norman Fowler

Does not the Minister agree that the kind of unofficial action that we saw last week is sadly counter-productive? Will he confirm that such action can only reduce revenue, force passengers to make alternative arrangements and, therefore, make new cuts in services more rather than less likely?

Mr. Marks

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment dealt with this matter fully in his statement on this subject.