British Rail Vendor Unit

HC Deb 24 July 1996 vol 282 c354W

Mr. Chidgey

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what(a) statutory and (b) other procedures govern the activities of the British Rail vendor unit. [39261]

Mr. Watts

The board of British Railways, appointed by the Secretary of State for Transport, prepares businesses for sale and sell them subject to the direction and consent of the Secretary of State whose objectives for such sales are set out in section 113 of the Railways Act 1993. The vendor unit carries out the day-to-day implementation of the board's sale strategy on certain disposals. The vendor unit follows procedures approved by the board and where appropriate agreed by the Department.