HC Deb 29 March 1994 vol 240 cc718-9W
Mr. Spearing

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what decisions relating to(a) issuing and inspection of tickets, (b) passenger services, (c) signalling and safety and (d) platform allocation will be taken by (i) private commercial management of mainline London railway stations, (ii) the franchisees or (iii) Railtrack.

Mr. Freeman

Station operators will normally be responsible for(a). Franchisees and open access operators will be responsible for (b). Railtrack will have overall responsibility for (c) although all operators will be required to conform with its safety case. Station access agreements will cover (d).

Mr. Spearing

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what activities he will open to the London mainline railway stations under private commercial management that could not have been activated by the British Railways Board.

Mr. Freeman

Private sector management of mainline stations in London and elsewhere will ensure that the commercial potential of such stations is more fully developed than under public sector ownership and management. Private sector management will also help to provide a more attractive environment for passengers and greater responsiveness to customer requirements at such stations.

Mr. Wilson

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made as to whether passenger transport authorities making payments to Railtrack from 1 April will have sufficient information about the basis of the charges to meet the statutory criteria required by their auditors; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Freeman

Passenger transport authorities, through the passenger transport executives, will not be making payments direct to Railtrack for the access charges attributable to their rail services, but will be paying the subsidy required by BR to run the trains. BR, in turn, will pay access charges to Railtrack.

I understand Railtrack has been discussing with the passenger transport authorities the composition of the access charges for their services. I have no reason to believe that the passenger transport authorities will have insufficient information to meet the statutory criteria required by their auditors.