§ Mr. AdleyTo ask the Prime Minister if it remains his Government's policy to seek the transfer of freight traffic from road to rail; and if he will report on the extent to which freight has been transferred to rail since April 1992.
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§ The Prime MinisterThe Government believe that freight should be transported by rail whenever that makes commercial sense to customers and rail operators alike. The best way to facilitate this is to end British Rail's monopoly of rail services, as proposed in the White Paper "New Opportunities for the Railways", Cm 2012. Detailed information about rail freight carryings since April 1992 is a matter for British Rail.
§ Mr. AdleyTo ask the Prime Minister if he will order an immediate inquiry into the reasons for and effect of the fall in the volume of rail freight traffic.
§ The Prime MinisterRail freight has been in decline for many years. The Government's proposals for the privatisation of British Rail's freight operations, and the opening up of the rail network to new entrants, are aimed at improving rail's prospects for the future.