The obligation to be self-sufficient was a departure in UK railway legislation and marked an important turning point. Each railway service should pay for itself or at least have the prospect of doing so. The days of general subsidisation of the railways were now clearly over. The change of policy was brought about by the Select committee of the House of Commons on Nationalised Industries, which concluded that the BTC should make its decisions exclusively on considerations of "direct profitability". Where decisions based ""on grounds of the national economy or of social needs"" needed to be taken, the Minister of Transport would be responsible, having sought the approval of Parliament.