§ 19. Mr. HardyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take the necessary steps to ensure that the fares charged for travel on British railways are broadly in line with those which apply in other EC member states; and what assessment he has made of the service provided by such railways.
§ Mr. FreemanMeaningful comparisons are difficult to make, given the very different operating conditions in each country. However, it is clear that fares could be reduced only if subsidies were increased. It would be wrong to ask taxpayers to fund bigger subsidies. Passengers, who are the main beneficiaries of rail services, should bear as much as possible of the costs.