§ Mr. RedwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on conditions under which the new Railtrack company will be able to draw down the Government loan facility.[11266]
§ Mr. SpellarI refer the right hon. Member to the replies given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, to my hon. Friend the Member for Preston (Mr. Hendrick) on 23 October 2001.Official Report, column 195W and to the right hon. Member himself on 31 October 2001, Official Report, column 671W.
§ Mr. RedwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what his estimate is of(a) the gross assets to be transferred to the new Railtrack company and (b) the debt to be set against those assets.[11092]
§ Mr. SpellarI refer the right hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 31 October 2001,Official Report, column 671W.
§ Mr. RedwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he will make a statement on the amount of Government money available for(a) Railtrack in administration and (b) the successor Railtrack company for the next three years.[11265]
§ Mr. SpellarI refer the right hon. Member to the reply from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to my hon. Friend the Member for Scarborough and Whitby (Lawrie Quinn) on 17 October 2001,Official Report, column 1230W.
The successor company to Railtrack would be entitled to receive network grants to the profile and amounts set out in the Rail Regulator's October 2000 Periodic Review and the 2 April agreement between Railtrack and Government.
The Government propose that a company limited by guarantee be established to succeed Railtrack. We would expect to put in place an arrangement by which the company could access a standby, subordinated loan facility. For details on this loan facility, I refer the right hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to my hon. Friend the Member for Preston (Mr. Hendrick) on 23 October 2001, Official Report, column 195W.
§ Chris GraylingTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what discussions his Department held with the Treasury 135W regarding the financial situation at Railtrack and his plans for the company prior to the announcement of the administration order.[12151]
§ Mr. JamiesonThere were regular discussions between my Department and the Treasury prior to the announcement.
§ Chris GraylingTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions which officials were involved in planning the press announcement by his Department of the Railtrack administration. [12150]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe announcement was prepared by my Department following normal procedures.
§ Mr. HobanTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what criteria he will use to assess proposals put to him by the administrators to resolve the future of Railtrack plc;[11801]
(2) by what process he will assess the solution proposed by the administrators to resolve the future of Railtrack plc.[11881]
§ Mr. Jamieson[holding answer 1 November 2001]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to my hon. Friend the Member for Gedling (Vernon Coaker) on 31 October 2001, Official Report, columns 669–71W.
§ Mr. PatersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the implications of the decision to place Railtrack into administration for(a) all services between (i) London Euston and Wolverhampton, (ii) Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury and (iii) Shrewsbury and Chester and (b) the proposed sale of the Oswestry branch line from Gobowen to Llanymywech to the Cambrian Railways Trust.[12608]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe Government will ensure that the administrator has the funds to finance Railtrack's activities, including the full operation of the network.