78. Mr. Edward M. Taylorasked the Minister of Transport whether she will intervene in the dispute between the British Railways Board and the National Union of Railwaymen, regarding the manning arrangements for the Continental freight terminal at Stratford; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mrs. CastleI have already made it clear to the National Union of Railwaymen that I consider the Board's plans for Stratford to be reasonable and sensible and in the best interests of railwaymen. The new depot is designed to help our international trade and to bring new traffic to rail. I sympathise with railwaymen who have had to face many difficult changes in recent years, but the Board have been at pains to ensure that the interests of those affected by the opening of the depot are very fully protected and this has been made abundantly clear to the Union and to the men themselves. Railwaymen in general will benefit from the operation of the depot. I trust therefore that the Union will now co-operate in making it a success.