§ Mr. WilsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to use the rate of return criteria used to sanction investment in the east-west underground rail link through London for proposals for electrification of lines in Scotland.
§ Mr. FreemanThe east-west cross rail link was approved on the basis that reduced road congestion and other benefits to non-users more than justified the cost to the public sector. My right hon. Friend stated in his 1989 objectives for BR that where, exceptionally, investment in Network SouthEast or provincial services is needed to meet growth in demand but cannot meet the required financial return, cost-benefit analysis can he used.