HC Deb 12 May 1989 vol 152 cc544-5W
Mr. Hardy

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the volume of investment in railways in the United Kingdom, France and West Germany in 1987–88 and 1988–89; and what sum this investment represents per capita in each of these countries.

Mr. Portillo

My Department has no readily available information on railway investment in France and West Germany. The figures for rail investment by British Rail, Northern Ireland Railways and London Regional Transport are as follows:

1987–88 Cash 1988–89 Prices 1988–89
BR (£ million) 526 563 596
NIR (£ million) 5 5 4
LRT (£ million) 274 291 271
Total investment (£ million) 805 859 871
Investment per capita (£) 14.14 15.09 15.30

Notes:

1. Per capita figures for both years are based on the mid-3;1987 figure for United Kingdom population of 56,937,000.

2. 1988–89 figures are forecast outturn.

3. The BR figures include investment in freightliners, BRML and BREL but exclude the laying of continuous welded track, which BR do not classify as investment.