asked the Secretary of State for Transport if the EEC uniform accounting system shows rail freight to be subsidised in any members of the Common Market.

Progress towards comparability of railway accounting within the EEC has not reached the stage where subsidies for rail freight can be separately identified. Under Regulation 1107/70, the Netherlands railway receives transitional support which, it is understood, relates to a freight deficit; other Community railways also receive deficit support which is not identified with freight or passenger losses.