§ Mr. Donald Stewartasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the British Rail infrastructure expenditure in the White Paper on Public Expenditure to 1979–80 (Command Paper No. 6393) covers all expenditure on maintenance and development of infrastructure, or only that proportion allocated to passenger transport; and, if he will publish details of (a) total expenditure on British Rail infrastructure and (b) its division between maintenance and development in Scotland, not included in the White Paper on Expenditure to 1979–80 (Command Paper No. 6393).
§ Dr. GilbertThe deduction for British Rail infrastructure at the foot of Table 2.5 in Cmnd 6393 relates to investment 369W in track and signalling charged to revenue account and attributable to passenger services. This also appears in Table 2.6 under central Government subsidies to British Rail. In 1976–77, the only year for which an estimate of the breakdown is yet available, total investment on track and signalling is expected to amount to about £100 million and routine maintenance to a further £190 million at 1975 survey prices. Electrification projects and new routes charged to capital account and investment by PTEs and local authorities are excluded.
A breakdown of expenditure between maintenance and development in Scotland is not available.
§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a further statement on the outlook for the railways.
§ Dr. GilbertI would refer the hon. Member to the statement made to the House by my right hon. Friend on 13th April about transport policy.—[Vol. 909, c. 1143–60.]