HC Deb 21 December 1966 vol 738 cc337-8W
Mr. Gardner

asked the Minister of Transport what progress she has made with the co-ordination of the parcels service of British Road Services with the freight sundries service of the Railways Board.

Mrs. Castle

As a first step I have agreed to the British Railways Board's proposal to separate their freight sundries business from the main railway organisation by creating a Freight Sundries Division which will be responsible for

(a) the management of the freight sundries business of the Railways Board;

(b) the operation of the Board's freight sundries depots and of their associated cartage fleets, including the vehicles used for the collection and delivery of passenger train parcels;

(c) the management, as agents, of the cartage arrangements for passenger train parcels.

This will be done in such a way as to cause the minimum disturbance to the staff and disruption of service to the public.

Meanwhile, preparations for the eventual provision of a unified parcels and sundries service in the public sector are being made. The Railways Board and the Transport Holding Company are setting up joint machinery to plan this and to promote close interworking in the interim between B.R.S. (Parcels) Ltd. and the new Sundries Division.