72. Mr. Leslie Haleasked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the hardship which an increase in passenger transport fares will cause to many sections of the community; and whether he will give consideration to the problem of a national transport subsidy in order to prevent such an increase.
§ Mr. BarnesI assume that my hon. Friend has in mind the proposals in the draft Passenger Charges Scheme which the British Transport Commission have submitted to the Transport Tribunal. The actual levels of fares under the Scheme will not be known until it has been settled by the Tribunal after a public inquiry. The clear intention of the Transport Act is that users of the services and facilities provided by the Commission should pay an economic price for them, and I see no justification for departing from this principle.