§ Mr. HoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what action he has taken in response to the 1991 annual report of the Transport Users' Consultative Committee for Scotland; and if he will make a statement;
696W(2) what is his policy on the circumstances in which it is appropriate for the Government to intervene in the provision of rail services to rural communities;
(3) what assessment he has made of the effect of the decision to eliminate the rail service from Carstaris to Edinburgh in 1991 on the economy of the rural community of Clydesdale; and if he will make a statement;
(4) what action he has taken in response to the recommendation of the Transport Users' Consultative Committee for Scotland in its annual report that some InterCity trains should stop at Carstairs; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. FreemanI take note of the views, reports and other representations of all Transport Users' Consultative committees. However, the precise level of service offered on individual lines is a matter for the British Railways Board to consider.
British Rail's InterCity business is required to operate on a commercial basis, just like its competitors. To do so, it must make the best use of available resources by tailoring its services to meet market circumstances. Uneconomic but socially necessary passenger services, where there is clear need for them, are provided by British Rail's regional railways sector. The Government provide substantial financial support through PSO grant towards the cost of such services. However, PSO is paid as a block grant to British Rail, and it is for it to allocate it on a line by line basis. Subsidy is not dependent on public ownership of the railways and we have made it clear that we intend to continue to provide subsidy where it is required following implementation of our privatisation proposals.