§ Mr. Muddasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will announce, ahead of any general statement, any plans for any curtailment of railway facilities currently involving people living in, or travelling to, the towns of Falmouth, Penryn, Redruth, Camborne or Hayle.
§ Mr. MarksNo. The announcement of plans for curtailing railway facilities is a matter for the Railways Board.
§ Sir J. Edenasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has received any proposals from British Railways for eliminating any part of the rail service from London to Bournemouth; and what reply he has given.
§ Mr. Rostasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set up an independent expert inquiry to advise him on the future of the railway industry in the context of long-term national and European transport strategy before he comes to any decision on major cuts in services, research and development or capital investment programmes.
§ Mr. MarksNo. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade is actively considering with the railway industry the ways in which the growing export opportunities in the railway fields can best be exploited.
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§ Mr. Rostasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will request the Central Policy Review Staff to report on the future of British Rail and the need for a national transport strategy before he comes to any decision on a major retrenchment in the rail network, cut backs in research and development or reductions in modernisation investment.
§ Mr. MarksNo. As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister explained on 6th March, the Central Policy Review Staff has a general remit to keep under review Government strategy and its implications for specific policy areas.