The Viscount of Oxfuirdasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their policy on the provision of subsidy for socially necessary passenger railway services.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Transport (Viscount Goschen)We remain firmly committed to providing the subsidy needed to support socially necessary passenger railway services at broadly the present level of service provision. In the instructions of my right honourable Friend the 19WA Secretary of State for Transport to the Franchising Director, he made clear that, when setting passenger service requirements for services being franchised for the first time, he should take as his starting point the service being provided at the time. The passenger service requirements which will be incorporated in franchise agreements will set out the services which franchisees will be contractually committed to operate. We are committed to providing support for at least those levels of service.