I know that the hon. Member for Willesden, West agrees. Indeed, my Labour opponent in Richmond stated: The Richmond-Broad Street Line is a vital metropolitan railway link for thousands of travellers. For many, journey times would be doubled—as would the cost—if it closed. Some would have to change jobs. There is no logic in proposing to close the line when we need, urgently, to develop and modernise our city transport. I fully agree with that statement. This was possibly the only time in the campaign that I agreed with the Labour candidate in my Constituency.

I should like the Parliamentary Secretary to bear in mind the pledge which was made by many of his hon. Friends during the election campaign, and to see that at least this pledge is carried out by the Government who, to the dismay of many of us, have been inclined to ignore many of the pledges that they made during the campaign.

The London County Council has under consideration the preparation of a transport plan for this area. It comes in the Town Planning and Roads Committee's Joint Report and it is likely to involve the most complex exercise in planning yet seen in this country. The study areas include sections served by this line. If the study is to preserve its true purpose, it ought to take into account the existence of the Richmond-Broad Street line for passenger services.

In this context, it can be argued reasonably that a statement today on the future of the line would prove invaluable from the planning aspect. There is at the moment grave uncertainty. I appeal to the Parliamentary Secretary to assure the House this afternoon that if the British Railways Board proposes to close the passenger services on the line from Richmond to Broad Street, the Minister will reject the proposal.