§ Lord Brabazon of Taraasked Her Majesty's Government:
What arrangements they intend to make to safeguard concessionary travel arrangements for employees and their dependants, and for retired staff on the privatisation of British Rail.
The Minister of State, Department of Transport (The Earl of Caithness)We intend to take powers in the forthcoming Railways Bill to ensure that future passenger service operators may be compelled to provide travel facilities so as to protect the benefits currently enjoyed by BR staff, pensioners and their dependants. The Regulator will be enabled to impose conditions in operators' licences requiring them to honour these existing travel facilities. Successor employers of present BR staff will be under an obligation to secure such facilities because the obligation will be preserved when those staff transfer from BR. Pensioners and their dependants, and others with preserved facilities, will continue to enjoy the travel facilities which they have now.