§ 98. Mr. Swinglerasked the Minister of Transport in giving his conditional assent to the closure, what was his estimate, allowing for the loss of contributory earnings, of the saving to be achieved by closing the railway service between Silverdale, Newcastle-under-Lyme, and Stoke-on-Trent; and what was his estimate of the economic and social costs of providing adequate alternative transport services.
§ Mr. MarplesThe British Railways Board tell me that the net savings, after allowing for loss of contributory earnings, will be of the order of £4,000–£5,000 per annum. This figure does not allow for consequential savings elsewhere which usually flow from a closure and can be154W considerable. No specific extra costs can be attributed to the bus services required as a condition of the closure, and I am satisfied that the closure will not give rise to measurable economic or social costs.