§ Mr. PattenTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those public bodies for which he retains departmental responsibility; which of these bodies have been identified as suitable for placing in the private sector; and by when it is expected each of these bodies will enter the private sector.
§ Dr. Mawhinney"Public Bodies 1994", copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House, lists bodies in existence at 1 April 1994 for which I am responsible. I also have responsibility for European Passenger Services Ltd. which was established as a Government-owned company on 9 May 1994.
BR has been restructured and its main constituent parts are being transferred to the private sector. The first passenger service franchise contracts are due to be awarded by the end of 1995. The maintenance depots of British Rail Maintenance Ltd. should be in private sector ownership very shortly. The three rolling stock leasing companies are set for trade sales during 1995. Trainload Freight has been restructured in preparation for sale later this year and good progress is being made with the transfer to the private sector of the remainder of the domestic freight businesses, Rail Express systems and BR's support systems.
523WRailtrack Group plc, the Government-owned company responsible for operating track and infrastructure, is to be privatised by stock market flotation within the lifetime of this Parliament.
EPS is due to be privatised during 1995–96 as part of the competition to construct and operate the channel tunnel rail link.
A public consultation was held in spring 1994 on the possible privatisation of National Air Traffic Services, currently part of the Civil Aviation Authority.