asked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he is satisfied with the way public subsidies to commuter services are distributed;(2) if he will take powers to allocate public subsidies to commuter transport services, including those currently operating at a loss.

Under the Railways Act 1974 my Department pays compensation to the Railways Board for the costs of operating the passenger railway as a public service. In addition local authorities have power to support local rail or bus services, including commuter services. For my proposals on future support for public transport services I must ask the hon. Member to await my White Paper.