HL Deb 09 April 2003 vol 647 cc44-5WA
Lord Bradshaw

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How the Rimini system, which is applied by the railway authorities and relates to track worker safety, works. [HL2344]

The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Lord Macdonald of Tradeston)

The Rimini (risk minimisation) system is the colloquial name for Network Rail's company standard RT/LS/S/019, Protection of people working on or near the line, which came into force in December 2002.

Lord Bradshaw

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Which body was responsible for introducing Rimini. [HL2345]

Lord Macdonald of Tradeston

Rimini was introduced by Network Rail, the infrastructure maintenance controller, who as the health and safety dutyholder is legally responsible for ensuring that risks to trackside workers are reduced so far as is reasonably practicable.

Lord Bradshaw

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is estimated to be the total cost of Rimini, including both track maintenance and additional bus services provided, when trains are cancelled. [HL2346]

Lord Macdonald of Tradeston

Network Rail estimates the implementation cost of Rimini will be £4 million. Network Rail does not think that Rimini will require additional bus services.

Lord Bradshaw

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many train services it is anticipated will be cancelled in a typical week when Rimini is implemented. [HL2347]

Lord Macdonald of Tradeston

Network Rail does not anticipate that train services will be cancelled as a result of the implementation of the Rimini standard.

Lord Bradshaw

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many lives of track workers engaged in maintaining railway infrastructure it is estimated will be saved as a result of introducing Rimini. [HL2348]

Lord Macdonald of Tradeston

Network Rail has not made an estimate of the effect of track worker fatalities as a result of introducing Rimini.

Lord Bradshaw

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the value attributed to lives saved by Rimini; and what is the value of a life saved by a typical road safety scheme. [HL2349]

Lord Macdonald of Tradeston

Network Rail says that the business case for Rimini is not based around the value for preventing a fatality (VPF) but around the wider benefits to the industry from the improved planning, resourcing and quality of the work which the process drives. The average VPF used in the assessment of road safety schemes is £1.2 million.