§ Mr. Gouldasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether discounts for travel by British Rail are to be withdrawn from members of the armed forces.
§ Mr. LeeIt is assumed that the discounts to which reference is made are those available to service personnel and their dependants under the forces railcard scheme. This scheme is a concession given by British Rail which is comparable to the discounted schemes available to pensioners, students and other groups within the community. The British Railways Board, which is responsible for the scheme, will no doubt be able to provide full details of the scheme and changes which are planned. However, I understand that a railcard offering discounted travel will continue to be available to members of the armed forces.