§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish as part of his forthcoming review a table showing, for each of the last 10 years, the approximate passenger mileage on British Railways under the headings of: Inter-City; suburban and local services, together with the approximate income from each category in each year.
§ Dr. GilbertThe information referred to is available only for the year 1970 onwards. I shall take account of my hon. Friend's suggestion in considering what information to make available in the forthcoming consultative document.
§ Mr. Richard Wainwrightasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will appoint an independent inspector to arbitrate in the event of passenger transport executives and British Rail authorities failing to agree on arrangements for commuter lines which cross 146W more than one passenger transport authority area.
§ Dr. GilbertA decision to do this would have to depend, among other things, on whether I had powers to do so in the actual circumstances of any case that might arise.
§ Mr. Moateasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing the total number of employees of British Rail on a comparable basis in each year from 1963 to 1975; and what was the route mileage operated for each year.
§ Mr. MarksFollowing is the information:
BR Employees Route Mileage 1963 476,545 17,471 1964 439,551 16,982 1965 399,005 15,991 1966 365,043 14,920 1967 338,740 13,721 1968 318,092 13,172 1969 268,970 12,447 1970 253,395 12,098 1971 250,777 11,799 1972 242,490 11,643 1973 234,972 11,537 1974 228,590 11,326 1975 234,218 11,289 1976 230,972 11,258 Notes:
Figures are as at 1st January for each year.
About 26,000 staff were transferred to the National Freight Corporation on 31st December 1968.