§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Minister of Transport if he will take steps to delay railway line and station closures in areas covered by the new passenger transport authorities until adequate study has been made by these authorities of the possibilities of transport integration taking place; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. CarmichaelIn accordance with the new policy announced in the White Paper on Railway Policy of November, 1967 (Cmnd. 3439) and the relevant provisions of the Transport Bill, we are looking at unremunerative railway passenger services generally to see how far their retention, with grant, could be justified as value for money. We recognise that there is a case for postponing decisions on closures within the proposed Passenger Transport Areas until the Passenger Transport Authorities have had adequate time to make their own studies. The cost of retaining some services in such areas would, however, be too great, and it may also be necessary to discontinue some services so that other rail services, over a much larger area, can be rationalised and modernised. We shall therefore continue to consider each case on its merits
§ Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Minister of Transport if he will state the result of his consideration of the White Paper on Transport Policy, Command Paper No. 3057, and his plans to prevent the loss and inconvenience to Scottish people of closures of long enjoyed and convenient Scottish railway lines and railway stations.
§ Mr. MarshThe proposals outlined in the 1966 White Paper on "Transport Policy" were subsequently developed in detail in four further White Papers, including that on Railway Policy published between September 1967 and December 1967; they are being given legislative form in the Transport Bill now before Parliament. The Bill will enable me to 129W pay a grant for the retention of an unremunerative rail passenger service if I am satisfied that this is desirable for social or economic reasons.