British Rail Property

HC Deb 23 July 1991 vol 195 cc462-3W

Mr. Steinberg

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the income from the sale of British Rail property for each year since 1980; what is his estimate of the value of property at present owned by British Rail; and into what broad categories the property can be classified.

Mr. McLoughlin

Income from the sale by the British Rail Property Board—BRPB—of British Rail property for each year since 1980 was as follows:

Year	Net sales after expenses (£ million)
1980	33
1981	38
1982	29
1983	67
11984–85	145
1985–86	73
1986–87	101

Year	Net sales after expenses (£ million)
1987–88	176
1988–89	265
1989–90	2331
1990–91	2122
1 15 months.
2 Includes sales of property acquired in connection with the channel tunnel rail link project.

The book value of the assets owned by British Rail is shown in BR's accounts, published with the board's annual report; the value of the board's interest in non-operational property on 31 March 1991 was £268.5 million. Operational property may also be sold once it becomes surplus to operational requirements.