Eurostar (Hansard, 31 July 1998)

§ Mr. Syms
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many paths are currently allocated for regional Eurostar services; how many of these train paths are non-operational; what is the cost of maintaining these paths; and what plans he has to release these train paths for other operational rail services. [54901]

§ Ms Glenda Jackson
Eurostar (UK) Ltd. have an access contract with Railtrack which provides for 2 paths on the East Coast Main Line and 3 paths on the West Coast Main line each way per day for Regional Eurostar services. As no passenger-carrying regional Eurostar services are operating at the present time, these paths are not being used by EUKL although other paths are being used for testing the trainsets. The cost of maintaining these paths is a matter for Railtrack and EUKL as would be their release for other operational rail services.

§ Mr. Matthew Taylor
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if the plans of the consortium selected to run Eurostar require regulatory approval; and if he will make a statement; [54206]
(2) what share British Airways will have of the consortium selected to run Eurostar; and if he will make a statement. [54208]

§ Ms Glenda Jackson
The consortium arrangements are a matter for the consortium members and will be notified separately by them to the European Commission and/or UK authorities, as the case may be, fully in accordance with relevant EU and UK competition rules. British Airways is proposing to take an initial shareholding of 10 per cent.

§ Mr. Matthew Taylor
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions who is the current owner of the regional Eurostar sets. [54205]

§ Ms Glenda Jackson
Eurostar (UK) Ltd. has the beneficial ownership rights to the regional Eurostar sets.

§ Mr. Matthew Taylor
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate his Department has made of(a) Eurostar's and (b) British Airways' share of the London-Paris rail/air market. [54207]

§ Ms Glenda Jackson
My Department have made no estimate of either Eurostar's or British Airways' share of the London-Paris rail/air market.