§ Mr. WilsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for the continuation of the armed forces railcard after railway privatisation; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. FreemanBritish Rail operates the armed forces railcard for commercial reasons: it helps to encourage use of the railway and fill seats which might otherwise be empty. The new private operators will doubtless market their services vigorously. I am sure that they will offer a range of discounted tickets in addition to the discount schemes that they will be required to provide for senior citizens, disabled people and young people. However, this will be a commercial matter for the new operators.