§ 47. Dr. StarkeyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions the Minister for Transport in London has had concerning the east-west rail link. [47669]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonI met representatives of the East-West Rail Consortium and Railtrack in February, who briefed me on the project. I requested a detailed business case from them, and subsequently officials from my Department and OPRAF have sought sufficient details to carry out a proper assessment of the project against the interim Planning Criteria published by OPRAF last November. This assessment is still in progress.