§ Mr. DenhamTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the protection of residential and leisure travel facilities on the rail network for employees and former employees of the National Freight company, Freightliner, the British Rail hotel group and other existing and former subsidiary companies of British Rail, who currently enjoy such rights. [33678]
§ Mr. WattsThe Government have given a clear assurance that residential and leisure travel facilities for those employees and former employees of the railway industry who currently enjoy such rights will be safeguarded.
Contracts of employment provide the protection for such entitlements as a condition of service. Franchised rail service operators will be obliged, through the terms of the contracts that they will have with the franchising director, to provide travel facilities on their services for entitled staff.
The benefits and obligations of agreements which the British Railways Board has with the employers of such staff will be transferred to a company, Rail Staff Travel Ltd., specifically established for the purpose of maintaining residential and leisure travel facilities to all those entitled.