Railtrack (Hansard, 5 March 2002)

§ 19. Ian Lucas
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how he intends to improve the accountability of the successor to Railtrack to its passengers. [36662]

§ Mr. Spellar
All potential bidders for Railtrack will need to take account of the guidelines issued in response to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Gedling (Vernon Coaker) on 31 October 2001,Official Report, columns 669–71W. The guidelines specify, among other things, that bidders must satisfy the Secretary of State on their proposals for creating, at regional level, relationships with railway passenger and freight service operators and other stakeholders. They should also provide evidence of the confidence of relevant industry stakeholders to their proposals.

§ Chris Grayling
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if the Strategic Rail Authority has notified his Department of valuations of rail assets in the United Kingdom carried out by the Authority. [40219]

§ Mr. Jamieson
The Strategic Rail Authority has not carried out any valuations of rail assets. It has, however, estimated the cost of enhancing the network to the levels that would be needed to meet the Ten-Year Plan targets for the railways. This information is published in the Authority's Strategic Plan.

§ Chris Grayling
o ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if the EU has placed conditions on the provision of state aid to Railtrack in administration. [40208]

§ Mr. Jamieson
No conditions were placed on the provision of state aid.

§ Chris Grayling
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) if his Department has placed an estimated valuation on rail assets in the United Kingdom; [40218]
171W
(2) if his Department has carried out joint work with the Treasury to estimate the total valuation of rail assets in the United Kingdom; [40220]
(3) what work his Department has undertaken to estimate the total value of railway assets held by (a) Railtrack and (b) other rail-related organisations. [40217]

§ Mr. Jamieson
The valuation of the assets of Railtrack Plc is a matter for the administrator. The valuation of other railway assets is a matter for the individual companies that own these assets.

§ Chris Grayling
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, (1) pursuant to his answer of 25 February 2000,Official Report, column 783W, ref 36311, if he will list the reasons for the administrator's additional funding request; and how much is being requested for each area of need; [39161]
(2) pursuant to his answer of 25 February 2002, Official Report, column 783W, ref 36312, whether there are no such contingency plans. [39162]

§ Mr. Jamieson
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 25 February 2002,Official Report, column 783W.

§ Chris Grayling
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions whether the guarantees that he will provide to secure commercial funding for the Railtrack administrator are time-limited by the recent ruling of the European Commission on state aid. [40232]

§ Mr. Jamieson
They are time limited.

§ Chris Grayling
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 25 February 2002,Official Report, column 782W, ref 30239, whether the Ford Motor Company is being paid for his services. [39160]

§ Mr. Jamieson
No.