HC Deb 18 December 1967 vol 756 cc299-300W
Mr. Michael Heseltine

asked the Minister of Transport (1) what she estimates will be the additional number of drivers required as a result of the proposed reduction in work hours in the Greater Manchester, Merseyside, West Midlands and Tyneside conurbations, respectively;

(2) what she estimates will be the additional cost in wages and benefits to the Greater Manchester, Merseyside, West Midlands and Tyneside Passenger Transport Authorities, respectively, for the extra drivers that will be required as a result of the proposed new limit on hours of work.

Mr. Swingler:

The extent to which additional bus drivers may be required and changes in the total cost of employing drivers would depend upon what adjustments were made in the bus undertakings concerned, taking into account the considerations referred to in para- graphs 111 and 112 of the White Paper on Public Transport and Traffic (Cmnd. 3481).

Mr. Michael Heseltine

asked the Minister of Transport what she estimates will be the number of redundancies in staff resulting from the proposed centralisation of all municipal bus services under a single passenger transport authority in the Greater Manchester, Merseyside, West Midlands and Tyneside conurbations, respectively.

Mr. Swingler:

The arrangements for staff transferred to the employ of an Executive will be a matter for the Executive, subject to legislative provisions for protecting staff interests.

Mr. Michael Heseltine

asked the Minister of Transport (1) what calculations she has made to show the economies that will result from centralised purchasing in the Greater Manchester, Merseyside, West Midlands and Tyneside Passenger Transport Authorities, respectively;

(2) what estimate she has made of the savings which will result from rationalisation of services in the areas of the Greater Manchester, Merseyside, West Midlands and Tyneside Passenger Transport Authorities, respectively;

(3) what calculations she has made to show the economies that will result from the rationalisation of garage and maintenance facilities in the Greater Manchester, Merseyside, West Midlands and Tyneside Passenger Transport Authorities, respectively;

(4) what calculations she made to show the economies that will result from the standardisation of vehicles in the Merseyside, West Midlands, Greater Manchester and Tyneside Passenger Transport Authorities, respectively;

(5) what calculations she has made to show the economies that will result from the standardisation of supplies in the Greater Manchester, Merseyside, West Midlands and Tyneside Passenger Transport Authorities, respectively.

Mr. Swingler:

The savings and economies referred to will depend on the policies for the organisation and management of their undertaking adopted by the Passenger Transport Authority and Executive in each area.