London Underground (Hansard, 28 February 2001)

§ Mr. Jenkin
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the Government decided to release commercially confidential information concerning the PPP bids for London Underground to Transport for London; and for what reason the Government did not do this previously. [150421]

§ Mr. Hill
Transport for London has had privileged access to information about the London Underground PPP from the beginning, consistent with the duties to consult and co-operate under the Greater London Authority Act 1999. My answer of 14 December 2000,Official Report, columns 201–02W, set out some of the commercially confidential information which had by that time been made available to Mr. Robert Kiley, the Commissioner of Transport for London. Since the agreement of 2 February between the Deputy Prime Minister and Mr. Kiley, there have been intensive discussions based on full access to information.

§ Mr. Jenkin
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions under the Government's proposed PPP for the London Underground, if it is the Government's policy(a) to avoid splitting the operation of trains and the control of infrastructure as originally envisaged and (b) to ensure that London Underground management will have control over programmes for investment, renewal and maintenance of infrastructure, particularly with regard to their timing and priority. [150398]

§ Mr. Hill
The Government remain committed to securing the best option for long-term and stable investment in the Tube that combines value for money with maintaining and improving safety. We are in discussion with the Commissioner of Transport for London, Bob Kiley, on his proposals. Building on the work already done, we aim together to work out how best to accommodate his thinking within the current framework for the public private partnership competitions.

§ Mr. Don Foster
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much London Transport has spent to date on consultancy for the London Underground Public-Private Partnership. [151576]

§ Mr. Hill
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing, North (Mr. Pound) on 30 November 2000,Official Report, column 757W. The Government will continue to provide 672W six-monthly updates to Parliament on the cost of the consultancy work for the PPP and restructuring of London Underground.