§ Mr. SpearingTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what response he made to the proposals of the British Railways Board contained in the booklet "Cross-London Rail Link", published in November 1980; and what study he has made of these proposals as a means of resolving current problems of congestion on London rail services.
§ Mr. David MitchellThe Department did not comment formally on the BR document in 1980. No proposals were submitted by the board, and it was clear that considerably more work was required to establish the costs and benefits of the project. It would be for it to consider reviving this work in the first instance if it believed it was a cost-effective way of relieving congestion on rail services.