§ Mr. John H. Osbornasked the Secretary of State for Transport if, from information available to him, he will tabulate the latest figures for losses and level of subsidy for the operation of national railways in each of the European Committee of Transport Ministers' countries, giving this as a figure per head of population, per mile of track and as a percentage of revenue for passengers and freight traffic.
§ Mr. David HowellThere are wide variations between the arrangements for financial support in different States, and it is not possible from the available figures of subsidy paid to railway undertakings to distinguish subsidy intended for the operation of railways from subsidy payable in respect of pensions or other items not directly concerned with railways operation.
Nevertheless broad comparisons for EEC countries may be derived from the Third Commission Report to the Council on the Transposed Annual Accounts of Railway Undertakings—COM(81)8(13)—a copy of which is available in the Library.