§ Ms Glenda JacksonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what total payment has been made under the standard spending assessment to provide for the additional costs of supporting rail services that have arisen from the privatisation of British Rail. [11318]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordA figure of £89 million has been set aside from within the provisional all other services standard spending assessments for 1996–97 to reflect the costs of supporting rail services that have arisen from restructuring due to the privatisation of British Rail. This takes account of payments made directly to passenger transport executives under British Rail and Railtrack deeds of assumption.