§ Mr. Dempseyasked the Minister of Transport if he will make a statement on the future plans for the advanced passenger train service.
§ Mr. FowlerI understand that the Railways Board is aiming to start a scheduled daily APT service between London and Glasgow on 1 June 1981 using the existing prototypes. Both I and the Railways Board will wish to see how the prototypes perform in commercial service before authorising a fleet build. I will also need to be satisfied that the financial performance of the board's inter-city business can support the investment.