Mr. Philips Priceasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he is aware that at the meetings of the Transport Users Consultative Committee held recently in Monmouth on the subject of the discontinuance of the passenger service on the Wye Valley Railway the general public and the Press were excluded; and whether, in view of the feelings which this has aroused in the Forest of Dean, he will call for a report upon the reasons why the Committee acted in this manner.
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§ Mr. WatkinsonI understand that all members of the public who had previously asked to be present at this meeting of the Transport Users' Consultative Committee for Wales and Monmouthshire, which was publicised in advance, were invited to attend and that afterwards a statement containing the Committee's conclusions and supporting reasons was circulated to the Press. The procedures of the Consultative Committees in this regard are clearly set out in sections 6 and 7 of their published handbook and I would refer the hon. Member to them.