§ Mr. Muddasked the Secretary of State for Transport what forecast of freight, in tonne kilometres, estimated to be carried by British Rail for the next 20 years has been supplied to him by the British Railways Board.
§ Mr. EyreThe British Railways Board does not provide forecasts expressed in terms of tonne kilometres. Forecasts of rail freight carryings to the year 2010, in terms of tonnes carried, were set out in the final report of the joint Department of Transport—British Railways Board Review of Main Line Electrification"—table 32, page 44. Later reassessments suggest that these forecasts need to be revised downwards in the light of a rather narrower industrial base. A figure in the range of 155 million to 165 million tonnes in 1991 is now thought more likely. This compares to actual carryings of 154 million tonnes in 1981 and the forecast range 175–190 million tonnes in the electrification review.