HC Deb 17 May 1995 vol 260 cc244-5W
Mr. Chidgey

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what is the cost of(a) terminating and (b) terminating in perpetuity the contractual commitments relating to intellectual property rights of contractors to Eastleigh Rail Maintenance Ltd. for rolling stock maintenance in order to complete the privatisation contract of Eastleigh Rail Maintenance Ltd.; [24045]

(2) what action the British Rail Board has taken in respect of the contractual commitments relating to intellectual property rights of contractors to Eastleigh Rail Maintenance Ltd. in order to complete the privatisation contract of Eastleigh Rail Maintenance Ltd.; [24044]

(3) what plans the British Rail Board has to enter into contractual commitments relating to intellectual property rights as a consequence of the privatisation process of Eastleigh Rail Maintenance Ltd.; [24043]

(4) what is the cost to the British Rail Board entering into contractual commitments relating to intellectual property rights as a consequence of the privatisation process of Eastleigh Rail Maintenance Ltd. [24042]

Mr. Watts

The British Railways Board is taking steps to ensure that the BR Maintenance Ltd. depots, including Eastleigh, are transferred to the private sector with adequate access to intellectual property rights. The terms of sale and purchase contracts, both in relation to such rights and generally, are a matter of commercial confidence between the BR Board and purchasers.