§ Mr. Eldon Griffithsasked the Minister of Transport what is the value of subsidies to rural bus services that have been withdrawn by the National Bus Company and by British Railways in 1969, and the amount of subsidies it is proposed to withdraw in 1970; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MulleyIn accordance with the new policy announced in paragraphs 59–61 of the White Paper on Public Transport and Traffic (Cmnd. 3481) and authorised in Section 54 of the Transport Act, 1968, financial responsibility for additional bus services introduced as a condition of consent to the closure of rail passenger services is in process of being transferred from British Railways to the National Bus Company and the Scottish Transport Group. British Railways paid some £1 million in 1968 in support of these services. Many of them are in rural areas but no separate figures are available. The financial duties of both the N.B.C. and the S.T.G. take account of the estimated cost of providing these services. It is for these bodies themselves to decide how their various financial responsibilities can best be shared out among their subsidiaries.
My predecessor reported progress on these matters in an answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Central Ayrshire (Mr. Manuel) on 5th May, 1969.—[Vol. 783, c. 20–1.]