§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the members of the Strategic Rail Authority's cross-industry working group; when this group(a) first met and (b) subsequently met; what are the terms of reference of this group; and what outcomes have emerged to date as a result of the work of the group. [32610]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe Rail Industry Group (RIG) was formed in early 2001 building on the successful collaborative arrangements developed following the Hatfield crash. RIG is chaired by the SRA and its membership includes senior representatives from ATOC, Raitrack, EWS, infrastructure maintenance contractors and the Rail Passengers Council. Observers from the DTLR, Office of the Rail Regulator, Health and Safety Executive and Rail Industry Association attend meetings. The group meets on an ad hoc basis depending on circumstances.
The purpose of the RIG is to bring the SRA and industry leaders together to discuss, agree and then implement changes to Britain's railway. The work of the RIG has been wide ranging, including co-ordinating changes to the possessions regime and setting up groups to address skills shortages.
The new chairman of the SRA, Richard Bowker, has been asked by the Secretary of State to review existing arrangements to determine if changes are needed to improve efficiency and effectiveness.