§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 19 December 2001,Official Report, column 526W, on rail freight projection, from whom the research was commissioned in both cases; for what reasons his Department did not require a research report to be published; by what means of communication his Department was informed of the research findings; and if he will provide a summary of the main findings from the research. [32546]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe research into future demand to move deep sea containers by rail was commissioned from PricewaterhouseCoopers. The Department did not require a research report to be published because of the commercially sensitive nature of the subject. The Department was informed of the research findings by presentations and a written report.
The research to review freight modelling techniques across all modes was commissioned from ME&P part of the WSP Group. The research is ongoing and the findings are expected to be published following the conclusion of the study.
§ Chris GraylingTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 30 January, Ref 31538,Official Report, column 328W, how much of the £3.5 billion of funding had not been announced prior to 14 January 2002; how much of the funding is capital investment; and how much of this is unallocated. [33407]
§ Mr. Jamieson[holding answer 4 February 2002]: All of the £3.5 billion of public funding for rail freight was included in the rail expenditure figures published in the Ten Year Plan for Transport in July 2000. Around three-quarters of the £3.5 billion is expected to be capital investment. All of it will be allocated in accordance with the mechanisms for applying public funds set out in the Strategic Rail Authority's Freight Strategy, published in May 2001.