§ Mr. Radiceasked the Secretary of State for Transport whether the European Economic Community has requested British Rail to reduce the age for half fare for children from 14 to 12 years in order to fall in line with the other railways of the Community.
§ Mr. William RodgersNeither the Council nor the Commission has made any such request. Children's fares are mentioned in an annex to a recent Commission report on railway co-operation, a copy of which is available in the Library. The annex was prepared by the Group of Nine Railways of the EEC and one of the items noted the desirability of achieving consistency of the age limit for children's half fares. The issues contained in the annex are for railways themselves to consider and I understand that British Rail have no intention of lowering the age limit from 14 to 12 years of age.