§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 8 February 2002,Official Report, column 1189W, on Railtrack, if he will list those circumstances on which the Rail Industry Group has been called to meet to date; what changes have been made to the possessions regime; and if he will list the groups set up to tackle skills shortages, broken down by skills shortages to be tackled. [37580]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe Rail Industry Group meets on an ad hoc basis.
A Possessions Working Group, reporting to the Rail Industry Group (RIG), recommended changes to the possessions planning process to improve efficiency and flexibility. These were accepted. Detailed implementation is an operational matter for Railtrack.
Under the auspices of RIG three work streams covering all the main skills areas in the industry are being taken forward. These are manpower planning, training and development, and attraction recruitment and retention.