§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what evaluation he has made of the employment implications for road haulage and rail freight of Her Majesty's Government's decision to contract the coal mining industry with pit closures.
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§ Mr. FreemanThe demand for haulage of coal by road and rail depends on the amounts, types and sources of coal required by power generators and other users. It is for British Rail to assess the impact of changes in the scale and pattern of demand on its operations and staff requirements. No comparable assessment can be made for the road haulage industry because of the great number of flows and operators concerned.