§ Mr. Temple-Morrisasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total Government subsidy paid to British Railways' pensions since nationalisation; and what this sum would be if expressed at 1977 survey prices.
§ Mr. William RodgersI have been asked to reply.
£362 million, which is equivalent to £389.3 million at 1977 survey prices.
§ Mr. Temple-Morrisasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what will be the effect on future public subsidies of the British Railways Board's planned reduction of its labour force of 40,000 between 1976 and 1981; and if this effect has been taken into account in the estimates given in Table 2.6 of Command Paper No. 7049. Vol. II for 1978 to 1981.
§ Mr. William RodgersI have been asked to reply.
Support for the operations of the British Railways Board given in Command 7049 has been determined on the basis of the policies set out in Command 6836. It is for the Board to consider what labour force is needed to conform with these expressions of Government policy.
§ Mr. Temple-Morrisasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the 247W cumulative total of capital debt write-offs and reverse deficit write-offs for the British Railways Board since nationalisation to March 1978.
§ Mr. William RodgersI have been asked to reply.
£1,451.1 million. This figure excludes the reconstruction of the British Transport Commission under the Transport Act 1962, since the capital write-down cannot be apportioned between the railways and other activities.
§ Mr. Temple-Morrisasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the cumulative total of subsidies, compensations and other payments for the period since nationalisation to March 1978 paid to the British Railways Board.
§ Mr. William RodgersI have been asked to reply.
£3,426.3 million. This figure does not include subsidies paid to the British Transport Commission, since these cannot be broken down between the railways and other activities.