§ Mr. Nichols Edwardsasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his policy as regards grant-aid for the Cambrian coast rail passenger service from Machynlleth to Pwllheli.
§ Mr. PeytonI am now paying grants totalling some £350,000 a year to the British Railways Board in respect of this service. A cost/benefit study carried out by the Economic Unit of my Department was published at the beginning of the year. Its conclusion was that the costs of retaining the line were substantially greater than the quantifiable benefit to the community of retention. I have therefore told the British Railways Board that it is unlikely that I shall renew the grant undertaking for this service, when it expires at the end of 1971, unless I have by then refused consent to a statutory proposal to withdraw the service.
If the Railway Board publish a statutory closure notice, a decision will not be made until after all the normal consultations have been held and full consideration has been given to all the factors involved.