HC Deb 03 November 1997 vol 300 cc67-8W
Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what proportion of the turnover of the 25 train operating companies was derived from the public service obligation grant in each year; [12883]

(2) what proportion of Railtrack's turnover was derived from the public service obligation grant paid to the train operating companies in each year; [12881]

(3) what proportion of the turnover of the three rolling stock leasing companies was derived from the public service obligation grant paid to the train operating companies in each year.[12882]

Ms Glenda Jackson

Public Service Obligation grant has been replaced by Support for Passenger Rail Services (SPRS), paid by the Franchising Director to the 25 train operating companies (TOCs). SPRS is not hypothecated to cover particular types of expenditure, so it cannot be directly identified as the source of payments made by TOCs to Railtrack or to the rolling stock leasing companies (ROSCOs). In addition to SPRS, the TOCs receive income from PTEs, from fares paid for passenger services and from payments made for other services.

The table provides details, for each year since the TOCs, Railtrack and the ROSCOs were created, of SPRS and PTE payments to the TOCs, access and leasing charges paid by the TOCs, and Railtrack and ROSCO turnover.

Passenger grants paid to TOCs, etc. 1
£million cash prices
1994–95 1995–96 1996–97
SPRS payments 1,783 1,669 1,809
PTE payments 346 362 290
Total public support to TOCs 2,129 2,031 2,099
TOCs' income from passenger fares2 2,171 2,379 2,582
Passenger access charges 1,955 2,003 2,119
Railtrack turnover 2,275 2,300 2,437
Passenger leasing charges 800 3— 3—
ROSCO turnover 800 3— 3—
1 All figures for payments and charges are for the passenger railway industry as a whole. They do not reflect the position of individual TOCs, e.g. Gatwick Express receives no public support.
2 TOCs' income from other sources is not readily available.
3 Information may be available from the Registrar of Companies, Companies House, Crown Way, Cardiff, CF4 3UZ.