§ 127. Mr. Harold Walkerasked the Minister of Transport (1) if, in view of the commitment in the Queen's Speech in respect of the rôle of British Railways workshops, she will have discussions with the British Railways Board with a view to revising the locomotive manufacturing policy decided by them in June, 1964;
(2) if, in preparing the proposed legislation on the subject, she will invite the Railways Board to submit to her a memorandum on their proposals for the exercise of the Board's powers of construction, manufacture and production;
(3) if, in preparing her draft legislation on the subject, she will review the Railways Board's Memorandum on Construction, Manufacture and Production of February, 1964, with a view to announcing a decision on locomotive manufacture postponed at that date.
§ Mrs. CastleI shall of course take account of the views of the British Railways Board in preparing this legislation. The decision on locomotive manufacture deferred in February, 1964, was announced on 22nd April in the same year.
§ Mr. Harold Walkerasked the Minister of Transport, in view of the impending legislation on the subject, what information she has on the current and forward locomotive manufacturing programme of British Railways and its apportionment between private manufacturers and the Board's own workshops.
§ Mrs. Castle67 locomotives are now on order from British Railways workshops and 208 from contractors. Orders for a further 50 are expected but have not yet formally been placed.