§ Harry CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what representations he has received about the full value for money analysis in respect of London Underground proposals; what has been the response to them and by whom; and if he will make a statement. [2727]
§ Mr. JamiesonIn addition to occasional questions in the House, my Department receives a small amount of correspondence from time to time about the value for money analysis of the Government's proposals for London Underground.
A report of the Environment, Transport and the Regional Affairs Committee published in July 2000 recommended that the National Audit Office should evaluate the public sector comparator used in the value 10W for money analysis before contracts were signed. The National Audit Office produced a report into the financial analysis of our proposals for the London Underground in December 2000.
The Select Committee also recommended that the results of the comparator tests should be published before the letting of any contracts. Our response to all such representations has been that the results of the full value for money analysis will be made publicly available once contracts have been signed. To publish the results any earlier would undermine London Underground's commercial position and damage its ability to achieve best value for the taxpayer.