§ Mr. DevlinTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the Government's policy on the provision of subsidy for socially necessary passenger railway services. [24759]
§ Sir George YoungThe Government remain firmly committed to providing the subsidy needed to support socially necessary passenger railway services at broadly the present level of service provision. In my instructions to the franchising director, I have made it clear that, when setting passenger service requirements for services being franchised for the first time, he should take as his starting point the service being provided at the time. The passenger service requirements which will be incorporated in franchise agreements will set out the services which franchisees will be contractually committed to operate. The Government are committed to providing support for at least those levels of service.