§ Sir F. Markhamasked the Minister of Transport if he will publish a list of those proposed closures of railway services in respect of which he has now received recommendations from the various transport users' consultative committees; if he will publish an up-to-date version of such a list each week; and if he will give an assurance that he will not make his decision on each case until adequate time has been given for representations to be made to him.
§ Mr. MarplesI have before me reports on hardship under Section 56(9) of the Transport Act, 1962, for the proposals listed below.
The consultative committee's normal practice is to issue a notice to the Press when they have submitted their report to me. I do not therefore think that any 78W regular statement on my part is necessary.
In view of the statutory procedure involved these reports on hardship are reaching me approximately four months after the date when the proposal was first advertised under Section 56. This should provide ample time for bodies to make representations to me on other aspects of the proposals.
Following is the list:
Transport Users Consultative Committee for the North Eastern Area
Sunderland—West Hartlepool.
Sunderland—Durham-Bishop Auckland.
T.U.C.C. for the Yorkshire Area
Selby—Goole.
Carlisle—Hellifield.
Leeds Central—Pudsey—Bradford Exchange.
T.U.C.C. for the North Western Area
Workington—Penrith.
Carlisle—Silloth.
Mow Cop and Scholar Green Station (Cheshire)
Southport Chapel Street—Preston.
T.U.C C. for the West Midland Area
Trentham Station (Staffs.).
Leek—Uttoxeter.
Stoke Loop line.
Normacot Station (Stalls.).
Stoke-on-Trent—Silverdale.
T.U.C.C. for the East Midland Area
Buckingham—Bletchlcy.
Northampton Castle—Peterborough East.
Northampton Castle—Wellingborough Midland Road.
T.U.C.C. for the East Anglia Area
Wivenhoe—Brightlingsea.
T.U.C.C. for the London Area
Woodside—Sanderstead.
T.U.C.C. for the South Eastern Area
Crowhurst—Bexhill.
Salisbury—Fordingbridge—Bournemouth.
Brockenhurst—Ringwood—Bournemouth.
T.U.C.C. for the South Western Area
Kemble—Cirencester.
Kemble—Tetbury.
Tiverton Junction—Tiverton.
Taunton—Exeter St. David.
Taunton—Yeovil Pen Mill.
T.U.C.C. for Scotland
Fraserburgb—St. Coombs.
Langholm—Riddings Junction—Carlisle.
St. Boswells—Berwick-upon-Tweed.
Edinburgh (Waverley)—Berwick-upon-Tweed.
Ayr—Dalmellington.
Edinburgh (Waverley)—Dunbar.
Elgin—Lossiemouth.
79WT.U.C.C. for Wales and Monmouthshire
Porth—Maerdy.
Cardiff (General)—Cardiff (Clarence Road).
Barry—Bridgend.
Cardiff—Coryton.
Abercynon—Aberdare.
Carmarthen—Aberystwyth.
Caerphilly—Senghenydd.
Clarbeston Road—Fishguard Harbour.
Swansea (High Street)—Milford Haven Neyland.
Whitland—Pembroke Dock
Swansea—Neath—Aberdare—Pontypool Road
Dowlais—Nelson.
Swansea—Craven Arms—Shrewsbury.
§ Sir F. Markhamasked the Minister of Transport if he will give an assurance that, when considering recommendations from transport users' consultative committees regarding proposed closures of railway passenger services, he will seek the views of representatives of the railway employees concerned before making his decision.
§ Mr. MarplesUnder the machinery of consultation established by agreement between the Railways Board and its staff, the Board informs the staff representatives of each passenger closure proposal before publishing the statutory notice and gives them the opportunity of expressing their views. This is the right way to consult the staff on a matter of management, and it would not be appropriate for me to seek the views of railway employees direct.