HC Deb 18 December 2001 vol 377 c218W
34. Mr. Nicholas Winterton

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will release the minutes of the meetings that took place between 1 July and 30 September between the Government, Railtrack and Credit Suisse First Boston. [21591]

Mr. Jamieson

My right hon. Friend informed the House about relevant discussions with Railtrack and its advisers in his statement of 15 October.

There is no commitment under the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information that pre-existing documents, as distinct from information, will be made available in response to requests.

It is not, in any case, the Government's practice to release information the disclosure of which may be an issue in legal proceedings. Such information is exempted from disclosure under section 4 of Part II of the Code.

Mr. Redwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the sum that would need to be granted to(a) Railtrack plc and (b) Railtrack Group to give the bonds an A Credit rating. [19426]

Mr. Spellar

The credit rating of the proposed Company Limited by Guarantee would depend upon its structure and financial framework.

Mr. Redwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what were the sums(a) agreed in 2000 and (b) at the latest date for which information is available for payments to Railtrack in (i) 2001–02, (ii) 2002–03 and (iii) 2003–04 by the (A) Government and (B) Strategic Rail Authority. [22118]

Mr. Spellar

[holding answer 10 December 2001]I refer the right hon. Member to the reply given by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Plymouth, Devonport (Mr. Jamieson) to the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling) on 10 December 2001,Official Report, column 555W.

Mrs. May

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what legal requirement will be placed on the administrators of Railtrack under the strategic plan drawn up by the Strategic Rail Authority. [23363]

Mr. Byers

[holding answer 17 December 2001]The Strategic Plan will be published on 14 January.

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