§ Lord Lairdasked Her Majesty's Government:
Who will appoint the members of the Transportation Task Force in Northern Ireland; how they will be selected; what are its terms of reference and the timescale for its operation; and what arrangements will be made for public involvement and consultation. [HL2124]
§ Baroness Farrington of RibbletonOn 20 April 2000, Mr Adam Ingram MP, Minister of State in the Northern Ireland Office, announced the composition of the Railways Task Force. The members were selected on the basis of a joint process between the Department for Regional Development and the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company.
The terms of reference for the task force are:
to identify the range of options for the future of the railway network in Northern Ireland;
to quantify the costs and benefits (monetary and non-monetary) and affordability of the range of options; and
to present an interim report to the Minister and to the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company for their consideration by the summer of 2000.
Public notices inviting interested parties to representations to the task force will be published in local newspapers, with a closing date for comments of 30 June 2000.