Rail Freight (Hansard, 23 February 1993)

§ Mr. Rowe
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the extra traffic flows carried by Trainload Freight and Railfreight Distribution since July 1992.

§ Mr. Freeman
This is a commercial matter for British Rail.

§ Mr. Rowe
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will set new financial objectives for British Rail's freight businesses; how long those objectives will apply; and if they will be disaggregated by freight market.

§ Mr. Freeman
Shortly. We are currently considering fresh objectives to cover the interim period until our proposals in the Railways Bill take effect.

§ Mr. Alex Carlile
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will introduce measures to ensure that the transport of goods by rail in Wales is and remains commercially competitive.

§ Mr. Freeman
It is for BR to take whatever steps it feels appropriate in the light of prevailing market conditions. For the future, privatisation of BR's freight businesses and liberalisation of access to the rail freight network offer the best prospect for a rail freight industry keenly attuned to the needs of customers.

§ Mr. Alex Carlile
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to introduce a subsidy in respect of the transport of oil by rail in Wales.

§ Mr. Freeman
My right hon. Friend recently announced our intention to introduce a new grant scheme to assist rail freight operators to pay their track charges, in cases where there is genuine need and where there are environmental and other wider benefits sufficient to justify it.