§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proportion of freight was transported by rail in the last year for which figures are available; and what assessment he has made of the capacity of the railways to deal with increases in demand. [75300]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonIn 1997, rail accounted for 7 per cent. of total tonne kilometres moved in Great Britain. The need to further develop rail freight is one of the key reasons for setting up the Strategic Rail Authority. One of the Authority's most important tasks will be to address the needs of freight as well as passengers, and the balance between the capacity demands of each.