§ Mr. Sillarsasked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he has any plans to bring rail services within Scotland up to inter-city standard;
(2) what is his current capital expenditure programme for upgrading Scottish railway routes; and if he will provide details of major projects.
§ Mr. William RodgersIt is for the Board to decide, within its total investment ceiling and in accordance with its plans, where investment priorities lie. The services to the major towns in Scotland are, of course, already part of the inter-city network.
§ Mr. Sillarsasked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what has been the Railway Board's capital expenditure on new passenger rolling stock in each of the last five years;
(2) if he is able to estimate the total production of railway passenger rolling stock in each of the past two years in the United Kingdom;
(3) what proportion of current British Railways passenger rolling stock in use has been purchased as new within the past five years;
(4) what is the current estimate of new passenger rolling stock required for British Railways; and how much of this capital expenditure is expected to be met over the next two years;
(5) what is the average age of passenger rolling stock currently used by British Railways.
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§ Mr. William RodgersThe information is not readily available. I shall write to the hon. Member in due course.
§ Mr. Sillarsasked the Secretary of State for Transport what is his estimate of the passenger miles travelled on British Railways services in each of the past five years.
§ Mr. William RodgersThe information is as follows:
billions of passenger miles 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 18.1 18.5 19.2 18.8 17.8
§ Mr. Lomasasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he has received proposals for the closure of railway lines in the Yorkshire and Humberside area.
§ Mr. William RodgersNo.
§ Mr. Walter Johnsonasked the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to publish a reply to the report of the Select Committee on Nationalised Industries on the rôle of British Railways in public transport.
§ Mr. William RodgersA White Paper setting out the Government's response is being published today (Cmnd. 7038). Copies have been laid before the House.