§ Mr. J. H. Osbornasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement about the renewal of unremunerative railway passenger service grants.
§ Mr. PeytonBecause I am still considering the whole question of grant for non-paying rail passenger services, I have decided to limit any undertakings to renew grant to two years at most. I must also make it clear that any undertaking is without prejudice to the withdrawal of the relevant service, within the period of the undertaking, if the due closure processes have been completed.
On this basis grants have been renewed on 76 services for two years, and on 21 services for one year as shown in the table.
On the London commuter network I have renewed grant for one year, but it will be reduced in amount to take account of the Government's intention that by 1973 these services should no longer depend on Exchequer help. The services, both paying and non-paying, which make up the network are shown in the table.
I have refused applications for grant for the six services, four of which were for 112W renewals, the other two new applications. I do not consider that these cases satisfy all the statutory or administrative requirements for grant.
There was no application for the Glasgow-Aberdeen service. It now pays.
Following is the information:
113W
GRANTS OUTSIDE THE LONDON COMMUTER AREA TWO-YEAR GRANTS The Secretary of State has undertaken to pay grant in 1971 and 1972 for the following services: Amount of Grant in 1971 £000 Eastern Region of British Railways: York—Selby—Doncaster/Hull 148 Newcastle—Sunderland—Middlesbrough 308 Newcastle—Carlisle 403 North Tyneside 684 Newcastle—South Shields 216 Leeds—Goole 119 Leeds—York 178 Bradford—Manchester 358 Grantham—Nottingham 116 Lincoln—Nottingham 177 Norwich—Yarmouth 117 Norwich—Lowestoft 148 Norwich—Cambridge 207 Cambridge—Ipswich 202 Cambridge—King's Lynn 167 London Midland Region of British Railways Birmingham—Derby 77 Stourbridge Junction—Stour bridge Town 37 Birmingham—Wolverhampton HL 146 Preston—Barrow 229 Preston—Windermere 122 Nottingham—Leicester 48 Kirkham—Blackpool South 207 Manchester—Blackpool North 647 Ormskirk—Preston 116 Manchester—Blackburn 337 Lancaster—Morecambe 68 Birmingham—Walsall (via Aston) 177 Birmingham—Walsall (via Soho) 105 Barrow—Whitehaven 115 Birmingham—Redditch 83 Birmingham—Stafford 88 Birmingham—Lichfield 336 Birmingham—Leicester 132 Whitehaven—Carlisle 250 Rugby—Coventry—Birmingham 248 Preston—Colne 408 Manchester—Stoke—Stafford 601 Manchester—Warrington—Liverpool 439 Manchester—Stockport—Crewe 355 Manchester—Buxton 399 Manchester—Bury 312 Manchester—Altrincham 266 Manchester—Styal—Crewe 262
Amount of Grant in 1971 £000 Manchester—Patricroft—Liverpool 165 Liverpool (Exchange)—Southport 329 Liverpool—Ormskirk 263 Liverpool—St. Helens—Wigan 321 Liverpool—Runcorn—Crewe 278 Liverpool—West Kirby 145 Liverpool—Rock Ferry 119 Liverpool—Stalybridge 121 Runcorn—Helsby—Chester 43 Scottish Region of British Railways Darly—Large 316 Ayr—Stranraer 208 Glasgow—Lanark 366 Springburn—Cumbernauld 192 Glasgow Suburban Electrics—South 1,076 Glasgow Suburban Electrics—North 1,364 Glasgow—Hamilton— 374 Glasgow—Barrhead— 94 Glasgow—East Kilbride 223 Glasgow—Paisley—Kilmacolm 235 Glasgow—Edinburgh via Shotts 324 Glasgow—Gourock/Wemyss Bay 916 Glasgow—Carlisle via Dumfries (local) 26 Southern Region of British Railways Brighton—Ore 734 Western Region of British Railways Paddington—Oxford 314 Barr Island—Merthyr/Treherbert 764 Shrewsbury—Aberystwyth 335 Cardiff—Rhymney 307 Reading—Westbury 183 Cardiff—Gloucester 101 Cardiff—Penarth 63 Cardiff—Coryton 48 Maiden Newton—Bridport 36 114W
ONE-YEAR GRANTS The Secretary of State has undertaken to pay grant in 1971 for the following services: Eastern Region of British Railways Leeds—Barnesley—Sheffield 325 Leeds—Bradford 239 Leeds—Doncaster 91 York—Sheffield 83 Cambridge—Peterborough 230 Colchester—Clacton/Walton 376 London Midland Region of British Railways Manchester—Northwich—Chester 316 Manchester—Warrington—Chester 125 Rock Ferry—Helsby—Chester 244 Wrexham—New Brighton 271 Chester—Llandudno—Holyhead 443
Amount of Grand in 1971 £000 Leamington Spa—Stratford upon Avon 97 Birmingham—Lapworth—Stratford 61 Birmingham—Stourbridge—Kidderminster 146 Birmingham—Kidderminster—Worcester 172 Birmingham—Leamington Spa 380 Llandudno—Blaenau Ffestiniog 99 Western Region of British Railways Plymounth—Gunnislake 95 Plymounth—Liskeard 83 Souther Region of British Railways Brighton—Portsmouth 1,084 Ashford—Hastings 170 LONDON COMMUTER NETWORK
The following are the services in the London commuter network which arc being grant-aided as a whole by the Secretary of State:
Eastern Region
King's Cross/Broad Street/Moorgate—Hertford/Hitchin; Welwyn Garden City.King's Cross—Royston; Cambridge.Liverpool Street—Enfield T; Chingford; Broxbourne and Hertford East; Bishop's Stortford; Gidea Park and Shenfield; Chelmsford and Witham; Cambridge via Bishop's Stortford; Clacton/Walton; Southend (Victoria); Colchester.Fenchurch Street—Shoeburyness via Upminster/Purfleet and Tilbury. Tottenham—North Woolwich. Barking—Kentish Town.Upminster—Grays/Tilbury.Wickford—Southminster.Witham—Braintree.London Midland Region
Euston/Broad Street—Watford.Euston—Bletchley.Marylebone—Harrow—Aylesbury.London—High Wycombe—Aylesbury.Watford—St. Albans.St. Pancras/Moorgate—Bedford.Broad Street—Richmond.Watford—Croxley Green.Western Region
Paddington—Slough; Reading.Ealing—Greenford.Slough—Windsor.Maidenhead—Marlow.Twyford—Henley-on-Thames.Southern Region
South West Division—Suburban
115WWaterloo—Hounslow Loop via Richmond or via Brentford; Kingston Roundabout via Richmond or via Wimbledon; Windsor/Weybridge via Richmond/Staines/Hounslow; Shepperton via Kingston; Shepperton via Richmond; Reading orSouthern Region (continued)
Guildford via Staines or Aldershot; Chessington South; Guildford via Cobham; Effingham Junction via Epsom; Hampton Court; Horsham via Wimbledon and Epsom.Waterloo and City.Clapham Junction—Kensington Olympia.Central Division—Suburban
Victoria—East Croydon via Selhurst; Epsom via Balham and Mitcham Junction; Sutton via Balham and Mitcham Junction or via Selhurst; London Bridge via Denmark Hill (South London Line); Coulsdon North via Selhurst; Epsom Downs via Selhurst, Crystal Palace and West Croydon; Beckenham Junction via Clapham Junction and Crystal Palace; Holborn Viaduct via Crystal Palace, Sutton, Wimbledon and Herne Hill; West Croydon via Crystal Palace.Victoria/London Bridge—Dorking North or Horsham via Mitcham Junction and Leatherhead; Effingham Junction via Mitcham Junction.Victoria/Charing Cross/London Bridge-Caterham and Tattenham Corner.London Bridge—Epsom, via New Cross Gate; Coulsdon North via New Cross Gate; Epsom Downs via New Cross Gate and West Croydon; Holborn Viaduct/Blackfriars via New Cross Gate, Sutton and Wimbledon; London Bridge via Selhurst or Crystal Palace and Tulse Hill.West Croydon—Wimbledon via Mitcham.South East Division—Suburban
Charing Cross/Cannon Street—Gillingham via Bexleyheath; Gravesend via Bexley-heath; Dartford via Bexleyheath; Dartford via Sidcup, fast to New Eltham/Mottingham; Dartford via Sidcup; Dartford via Blackheath and Woolwich; Dartford via Greenwich; Bromley North; Sevenoaks/Orpington via Chislehurst; Hayes; Addiscombe; Sanderstead or Selsdon.Charing Cross—Hayes via Lewisham.Victoria—Orpington via Beckenham Junction.Holborn Viaduct/Blackfriars—Crayford/Dartford via Nunhead and Sidcup; Barnehurst/Slade Green/Dartford via Nunhead and Bexleyheath; Orpington via Penge East.Holborn Viaduct—Sevenoaks via Catford and Swanley.Elmers End—Addiscombe.Waterloo—Main Lines
116WWaterloo—Portsmouth (fast, semi-fast and stopping); Alton.Waterloo—Bournemouth (fast, semi-fast and stopping); Basingstoke; Salisbury.Brockenhurst—Lymington Pier.Victoria/London Bridge—South Coast
Victoria—East Grinstead; Uckfield via Oxted and Ashurst; Bognor/Portsmouth via Dorking, Horsham and Arundelsemi-fast; Bognor via Redhill, Horsham, Arundel and Littlehampton—stopping; Horsham via Redhill—stopping; Littlehampton via Sutton; Gatwick Airport; Brighton (non stop, semi-fast and stopping); Ore via Haywards Heath, Lewes and Eastbourne; Littlehampton via Hay-wards Heath, Hove and Worthing—fast; Seaford/Ore; Eastbourne/Brighton.London Bridge/Victoria—Reigate.London Bridge—East Grinstead; Uckfield via Ashurst; Portsmouth/Bognor via Honey; Brighton—stopping; Eastbourne/Seaford; Brighton/Ore; Littlehampton via Hove.Tonbridge—Eridge via Tunbridge Wells.Arundel—Littlehampton.Redhill—Reigate.Kent Coast Main Lines
Charing Cross/Cannon Street—Ramsgate via Ashford/Dover/Deal/Canterbury W. (fast and stopping); Gillingham via Strood.Charing Cross—Ramsgate via Woolwich, Strood and Herne Bay—semi fast/stopping.Victoria—Margate via Maidstone E, Ashford and Canterbury West—stopping; Sheerness/Maidstone East via Swanleystopping; Dover/Ramsgate via Bromley South, Faversham, Canterbury East/Herne Bay—fast.Victoria/Holborn Viaduct—Gillingham via Penge East.Holborn Viaduct—Maidstone East via Swanley.London—Hastings via Tonbridge.Paddock Wood—Maidstone West.Sittingboume—Sheerness-on-Sea.Strood—Maidstone West.REFUSALS OF GRANT
Undertakings to pay grant are not being renewed for the following services:
Leeds—Rotherham—Sheffield.Liverpool (Lime Street)—Southport.Crewe—Chester.Bristol—Worcester.Undertakings are not being given for the following services, not previously grant-aided, for which application for grants were received:Sheffield—Nottingham.Leicester—Bedford extension of.Nottingham—Leicester service.
§ Mr. Leslie Huckfieldasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what will be the amount of grant payable to the Nuneaton-Birmingham and Coventry- 117W Birmingham railway service in 1971; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. PeytonSeparate figures are not available for the services specified, but grant-aid is payable in 1971 for the following services:
£ Birmingham-Leicester (incorporating Nuneaton-Birmingham) 132,000 Euston-Northampton-Birmingham (incorporating Coventry-Birmingham. 214,000 Rugby-Coventry-Birmingham 248,000
§ Mr. Leslie Huckfieldasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement about the future of grants to unremunerative railway services outside London.
§ Mr. PeytonI have made an announcement today about the renewal of grant undertakings which expired on 31st December, 1970. I am still engaged on a general review of grants for all unremunerative rail passenger services.