asked the Secretary of State for Transport what progress he has made in setting a financial target for National Express and National Holidays.

I have today set the following financial target for the National Express and National Holidays divisions of the National Bus Company:

"A contribution to long run unavoidable costs of £7 million at outturn prices."

The achievement of this target will involve a significant improvement in real terms over the contribution achieved by National Express and National Holidays in 1981, which was itself a very substantial improvement on the 1980 result. The target thus represents a demanding objective for these two businesses, both of which operate in highly competitive markets. I am confident that the National Bus Company will make every effort to achieve it.