HC Deb 30 March 1993 vol 222 cc162-3W
Mr. Harvey

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many potential candidates were considered for designation to become each of(a) the rail regulator, (b) the director of passenger rail franchising and (c) chairman of Railtrack.

Mr. Freeman

A number of candidates were considered for each of the posts.

Mr. Harvey

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the exchanges of correspondence which took place between himself and those he has designated to become(a) the rail regulator, (b) the director of passenger rail franchising and (c) the chairman of Railtrack, referring to the roles to which they are nominated.

Mr. Freeman

No. The Government have already made clear publicly the roles which the regulator, the franchising director, and Railtrack will have after the Railways Bill is enacted.

Mr. Harvey

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what costs were incurred in the advertisement and selection of those designated to become(a) the rail regulator, (b) the director of passenger rail franchising and (c) the chairman of Railtrack.

Mr. Freeman

The Department of Transport paid to Norman Broadbent International, who assisted in the recruitment, £132,098, including value added tax. This payment covered fees, advertisements, and general expenses. Work done by officials in the course of their duties in relation to the appointments cannot accurately be costed.

Mr. Harvey

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether present or former employees of the British Railways Board were specifically excluded from consideration for designation to become each of(a) the rail regulator, (b) the director of passenger rail franchising and (c) the chairman of Railtrack.

Mr. Freeman

No.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many of Railtrack's senior appointments come from(a) BR, (b) his Department, and (c) elsewhere; and how pay levels for people in (a) and (b) have altered.

Mr. Freeman

On 24 March, BR announced the appointments of 11 senior members-designate of Railtrack. Of these, ten came from within BR and the other was on secondment from the Department of Transport. Selection and appointment of staff of the "shadow" Railtrack are generally matters for the BR board. There are two exceptions: first, Mr. Robert Horton, whose appointment as Railtrack's chairman-designate was made by the Secretary of State, and who will continue to be a member of the BR board until Railtrack is established as a separate Government-owned company next year. Secondly, Mr. David Moss, Railtrack's commercial director-designate, who is a grade 3 official seconded to the BR board from the Department of Transport. In neither case did the salary alter with the appointment to shadow Railtrack.

Mr. Harvey

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria and procedures were used in identifying and selecting those designated to become(a) the rail regulator, (b) the director of passenger rail franchising and (c) chairman of Railtrack.

Mr. Freeman

My right hon. Friend appointed the candidates who in his judgment were the best fitted to carry out these roles. The Department engaged Norman Broadbent International to assist in the identification of suitable candidates.