§ Mr. BrakeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what estimate he has made of the re-payment cost of the public/private partnership for London Underground; [64571]
33W(2) what proportion of the repayment costs of the public/private partnership for London Underground will be covered (a) by Government and (b) by the Greater London Authority from the revenues generated by congestion charges or parking levies. [64572]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonUnder the public/private partnership for the Underground, London Underground will pay to the private sector a fee based on availability and performance of infrastructure. The work to date, to develop the contract structure and model the financial relationships, which is still being refined, suggests that, over the life of the concession, this fee and all the Underground's operating costs could be covered from London Underground revenues. Details of the estimated payments cannot be divulged, as to do so might compromise the public sector's ability to achieve value for money in the competition for the infrastructure contracts.