§ Ms ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what uniform business rate income the Exchequer will derive from Railtrack when the company has been privatised; how this income will be shared among local authorities; and if the payment of uniform business rate by Railtrack has been included in the calculation of track access charges. [19862]
§ Mr. WattsRateable values for Railtrack's operational property are prescribed by orders by the Secretaries of State for the Environment, for Scotland and for Wales. The sum raised from this in 1994–95 was £91.7 million. Other properties are assessed in the normal way by the Valuation Office agency and the moneys collected by the relevant local authorities. The figure for this is not held centrally. These arrangements will be unaffected by privatisation. All non-domestic rates, whether collected by the Secretaries of State or by local authorities, are paid into the non-domestic rating pools for the respective countries and redistributed to local authorities on a per capita basis. The payment of rates is included in Railtrack's costs which were taken into account by the Rail Regulator in setting the level of access charges.
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§ Ms ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport when each remaining part of the former British Rail is due to be privatised. [19863]
§ Mr. WattsThe timetable for franchising and future sales is set down in the following table. This gives indications only of when sales are expected to be completed or franchises awarded.
(a) Franchises
The Franchising Director is responsible for awarding franchising contracts.
Bidders were shortlisted for InterCity East Coast, Midland Main Line, Network SouthCentral and Gatwick Express on 16 January. The Franchising Director received final bids on 1 March for InterCity East Coast, Midland Main Line and Gatwick Express. Final bids for Network SouthCentral were required by 11 March 1996.The Franchising Director is inviting the shortlisted bidders (with the exception of Enterprise Rail) to re-tender for LTS Rail.Invitations to tender for South Eastern were issued on 19 December 1995 and for Chiltern on 30 January. Indicative bids for both are required by 22 March.Invitations to pre-qualify for Cardiff and South Wales and West were issued on 23 January. 19 applications have been received for pre-qualification, the majority of companies being interested in pre-qualifying for both franchises.Invitations to pre-qualify for Anglia and Thames Trains were issued on 22 February. Applications must be received by 22 March.Invitations to tender for the remaining franchises will be issued in due course.(b) Freight Businesses
Final bids for Freightliner were invited on 22 December 1995. BR aims to complete the sale in the coming months.The Government and British Rail are examining the options for privatisation of Railfreight Distribution.(c) Infrastructure companies
Final bids for the following businesses were involved on 5 October 1995 and the sales are expected in the coming months:
- Western Track Renewals Co. Ltd.
- Northern Infrastructure Maintenance Co. Ltd.
- Northern Track Renewals Co. Ltd.
- Eastern Infrastructure Maintenance Co. Ltd.
- Eastern Track Renewals Co. Ltd.
- Southern Track Renewals Co. Ltd.
- South West Infrastructure Maintenance Co. Ltd.
- South East Infrastructure Maintenance Co. Ltd.
(d) Other BR Businesses
Final bids for the following units were invited:
- The engineering link: 15 December 1995
- Interfleet Technology: 15 December 1995
- Network Train Engineering Services: 15 December 1995
- College of Railway Technology: 26 January 1996.
Bids are currently being considered for the above units and for BR Projects Ltd.
Indicative bids will be invited for about 10 other Central Services units. BR expects to dispose of all the above units over the coming months.(e) Railtrack
The Government intend to sell Railtrack by stock market flotation in May 1996.
§ Ms ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if 719W he will list each part of the former British Rail which has been privatised since the passage of the Railways Act 1993, indicating the income generated by each sale. [19864]
§ Mr. WattsThe tables list those parts of British Rail which have either been sold or franchised.
The first two franchises were awarded as contracts to run services in return for the payment of grant and will not generate receipts for the Government.
Gross proceeds from the sales to date of businesses sold by BR amount to some £571.5 million. As explained in the Government's response of 14 December 1995 to the Transport Select Committee Fourth Report, on railway finances, it would be contrary to the commercial interests of British Rail and the Government to publish details of individual sales at this stage, as that may prejudice sales still in progress. Details of individual sales completed will be made public in due course.
In addition to that figure, the sale of the rolling stock leasing companies, which was handled by my Department, realised £1,822 million; that figure comprises £598 million for Eversholt Leasing Ltd., £528 million for Porterbrook Leasing Ltd. and £696 million for Angel Train Contracts Ltd.
Franchises Awarded Great Western Holdings Ltd. 20 December 1995 Stagecoach Holdings plc Ltd. 19 December 1995 Both commenced operations on 4 February 1996.
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Companies sold As at 14 March 1996 Freight and Parcels Red Star Sold 5 September 1995 Rail express systems Ltd. Sold 9 December 1995 Trainload Freight businesses Sold 4 February 1996 Loadhaul Freight Ltd. Mainline Freight Ltd. Transrail Freight Ltd. Rolling stock leasing companies Porterbrook Leasing Ltd. Sale completed 8 January 1996 Angel Train Contracts Ltd. Sale completed 17 January 1996 Eversholt Leasing Ltd. Sale completed 2 February 1996 Other Businesses Special Trains Unit Sale completed 31 March 1995 BRIS Design Offices DCU Birmingham Sold 25 July 1995 Mainline Swindon Sold 18 August 1995 IDG Glasgow Sold 18 August 1995 BPE Mechanical and Engineering Consultancy, Doncaster Sold 15 September 1995 Civil Engineering Design Group, York Sold 15 September 1995 Powertrack Engineering Company Limited CEDAC London Limited Sold 15 December
Companies sold As at 14 March 1996 BR Maintenance Ltd. Swindon Electronic Service Centre Sold 11 April 1995 Chart Leacon (Ashford) Sold 5 June 1995 Illford and Doncaster Depots Wolverton, and Springburn(Glasgow) Depots Sold 6 June 1995 Eastleigh Depot Sold 7 June 1995 Sale completed 21 BR Telecommunications Ltd. December 1995 BR Central Services Meldon Quarry Ltd. Sold February 1994 Baileyfield Switches and Crossings Works Sold 7 July 1995 Ditton Timber Treatment Works Sold 1 September 1995 Quality and Safety Services Ltd. Sold 10 November 1995 Railways Occupational Health Ltd. Sold 30 November 1995 Signalling Control (UK) Ltd. Sold 1 December 1995 Interlogic Control Engineering Ltd. Sold 4 January 1996 Castleton Long Welded Rail and Track Works Sold 14 March 1996 OBS Services Ltd. Sold 3 October 1995 BR Infrastructure Companies Scotland Track Renewals Co. Ltd. Sold 8 February 1996 Scotland Infrastructure Maintenance Co. Ltd. Sold 14 February 1996 Western Infrastructure Maintenance Co. Ltd. Contracts exchanged 7 March 1996 Central Infrastructure Maintenance Co. Ltd. Contracts exchanged 7 March 1996