§ Q2. Mr. McAllionTo ask the Prime Minister when she next expects to visit the north-east of Scotland.
§ The Prime MinisterI hope to visit the north-east of Scotland later this year.
§ Mr. McAllionIs the Prime Minister aware that the Speedlink rail freight service that serves the north-east of Scotland faces closure because of her plans to sell off parts of British Rail? Is she further aware that such a closure would lead to 100,000 tonnes of timber being moved from rail to road, which would create an additional 18,000 lorry movements every year on Scotland's already overcrowded roads? Given that such a development makes no economic sense, does the Prime Minister accept that the price to be paid by the rest of us for her personal obsession with privatisation is too high and that she should instruct British Rail to retain the existing Speedlink service?
§ The Prime MinisterSome of us think when we visit Scotland and travel on her roads that they are very much better than the roads down south, and not nearly so crowded. Scotland has had an enormous amount of money spent on her roads. Current investment levels in British Rail are the highest, in real terms, for a quarter of a century, with £3.7 billion to be invested over the next three years.