§ Alistair BurtTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what estimate he has made of changes to the annual net level of CO2 emissions in the United Kingdom that would result from the operation of(a) the Sandy-Bedford rail link and (b) the Bedford-Milton Keynes canal link; [89405]
(2) what estimate he has made of the level of (a) lottery grant (b) landfill grant, and (c) other public money that would need to be made available to (i) bring into operation and (ii) maintain each year (a) the Sandy-Bedford rail link and (b) the Bedford-Milton Keynes canal link; [89406]
106W(3) what estimate he has made of (a) the volume of freight that could be carried by and (b) the number of passengers who would use (i) the Sandy-Bedford rail link and (ii) the Bedford-Milton Keynes canal link each year. [89404]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe Sandy-Bedford rail link and the Bedford-Milton Keynes canal link are possible schemes that have been considered within the London-South Midlands multi-modal study. The consultants are expected to report next month and will include an assessment of the impact on CO2 levels for the preferred strategy across the study area as a whole. The three regional planning bodies whose areas the study relates to will then consider the recommendations of the study and pass their advice to Ministers. We would expect to announce our decisions on the study recommendations in the spring or summer of this year.