§ 8. Mr. GrocottTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to encourage his Department to use the railways for the carriage of freight.
§ Mr. HanleyMy Department uses the most convenient and cost-effective methods to transport freight, including railways, but has no plans specifically to favour the use of rail over any other method of transport.
§ Mr. GrocottThe facts do not square with the Minister's answer. Can he confirm that, when the Government came to power, 38 Ministry of Defence depots has rail links with the main line? They have been progressively closed, however, and now only 21 are left. One of the closures was at Donington, in my constituency. Is it not ridiculous that, while the Department of Transport argues that freight should be transferred from road to rail, the Ministry of Defence pursues a clear and determined policy of transferring it from rail to road?
§ Mr. HanleyI am well aware of the hon. Gentleman's constituency point. He may take some comfort from the fact that a £10 million, two-year contract between the 186 MOD and British Rail has recently been extended by a further year, to next June. Moreover, we use rail whenever it is sensible, practicable and economical to do so.
The hon. Gentleman should consider British Rail's freight transport policy, as it has changed its practices, which makes freight transport difficult, especially when an entire train has to be hired, rather than one or two carriages.