HL Deb 22 November 2000 vol 619 cc78-9WA
Earl Attlee

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the remarks by Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 2 November (H.L. Deb., col. 1167) promising to write to Lord Attlee, whether safety cases could successfully be made to the relevant authorities for the winners of the shadow Strategic Rail Authority's inter-modal competition. [HL4639]

The Minister of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Lord Macdonald of Tradeston)

It is for the operator to submit a safety case to the Railtrack Safety and Standards Directorate (which will become Railway Safety Ltd on 31 December 2000) which will then consider safety approval. The schemes which were successful in the sSRA competition are subject to the same safety acceptance process with Railtrack as would happen in any other circumstances involving the operation of new or modified equipment on the rail network.