§ Mr. DenhamTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) when he expects to announce the outcome of the bids for the privatisation of British Rail Maintenance Ltd.; [20546]
(2) what legal rights are held by Asea Brown Boveri to undertake rolling stock engineering and maintenance work for British Rail and rolling stock leasing companies; [20544]
(3) if he will place in the Library a copy of the agreement reached with Asea Brown Boveri at the time of the privatisation of British Rail Engineering Ltd. regarding the future placing of orders for rolling stock engineering and maintenance work by British Rail; [20542]
(4) what reference was made to legal obligations on the railway rolling stock leasing companies regarding any requirement to place heavy engineering and maintenance work with any publicly or privately owned maintenance companies and to legal rights held by Asea Brown Boveri 589W to undertake rolling stock engineering and maintenance work for British Rail and rolling stock leasing companies, in the documentation provided to potential purchasers of British Rail Maintenance Ltd.; [20545]
(5) what legal obligations rest on the railway rolling stock leasing companies regarding any requirement to place heavy engineering and maintenance work with any publicly or privately owned maintenance companies. [20543]
§ Mr. WattsThe British Railways Board and the rolling stock companies have contractual commitments for rolling stock maintenance with a number of private sector suppliers, and with BR Maintenance Ltd.—level 5 maintenance depots. BR described these latter commitments and associated matters in the British Rail Maintenance Ltd.—level 5 information memoranda, other sales documents and in subsequent discussions with bidders for the depots. The documents are commercially confidential and cannot therefore be released. BR hopes to announce sales of the depots shortly.