Sir G. Lloydasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether in view of the present anxiety among private wagon repairing firms, he will issue a direction to the British Transport Commission as to the priority they should adopt in allocating repair work between private firms and their own shops.
§ Mr. WatkinsonThe allocation of wagon repair work is the responsibility of the British Transport Commission as part of the commercial management of the railways and is not a suitable subject for a direction. I am nevertheless aware of the concern felt at the present time by private wagon repairing firms as to their future; I have received a deputation from the Wagon Repairing Association and I have heard the views of a number of hon. Members who have approached me. I have accordingly discussed the matter with Sir Brian Robertson.
The problem arises basically because the British Railways wagon fleet is contracting very materially and because the older wooden wagons are being scrapped. There is thus an absolute reduction in the volume of repair work and this must affect both the Commission's own shops and the private repairers. In allocating repair 191W work the Commission must have regard to commercial and geographical considerations as well as to the claims of its own workpeople and of the private repairing industry. The Commission has already reduced the volume of wagon repair work in its own shops and is discussing with the unions the effects which further contraction will have on their 192W shops. The Commission is also meeting the Wagon Repairing Association to discuss how best the continuing contraction can be applied in their case. The Commission is I am assured ready to look as sympathetically as it can at any constructive proposals put forward by the Association, and I hope this consultation will continue.