HC Deb 16 July 2001 vol 372 cc8-9W
Harry Cohen

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will provide the figures for the fourth quarter of 2000–01 of service disruptions due to failures in trains, signals, points and track. [2728]

Mr. Jamieson

Railtrack figures show that the average daily delays from all causes to services run by the franchised passenger train operators during the 12 week period beginning 7 January 2001 totalled 76,647 minutes. Around 18,500 trains ran each day under the winter timetables.

Mr. Luff

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the need for additional capacity on the Cotswold railway line between Worcestershire and Oxford; and if he will make a statement. [4131]

Mr. Jamieson

The Strategic Rail Authority has met the Cotswold and Malvern Line partnership who are preparing a bid for funding from the Rail Passenger Partnership scheme to improve this stretch of the line. When the bid is submitted it will be assessed against the authority's planning criteria.

Chris Grayling

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what evaluations his Department has conducted into the advantages of extending southwards the railway line from Chessington South. [3643]

Mr. Jamieson

No evaluations have been made by my Department or the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA). I understand that evaluations have been made by Stagecoach, the franchisee of South West Trains, and that the proposal is supported by the local authority. If funding were required from Government it may be available through the Rail Passenger Partnership scheme (RPP), administered by the SRA. The SRA will assess any bids on value for money grounds against their published planning criteria. Bidding guidance has been sent to all local authorities.

Norman Baker

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will establish a method of independent oversight to ensure the study promised by GoVia into the viability of reopening the Lewes-Uckfield line is undertaken properly. [4169]

Mr. Jamieson

The study will be carried out by a consultant in accordance with terms of reference agreed by the Strategic Rail Authority and GoVia. The authority will consider the results of the study against planning criteria approved by Ministers. It would neither be practicable nor appropriate to introduce further parties into the evaluation process.