§ Lord Bradshawasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the number of new orders for signalling work by Network Rail is placing design and manufacturing capacity in the engineering supply industry in jeopardy. [HL4070]
§ Lord Davies of OldhamNetwork Rail is a private-sector company and so determines its own approach to the procurement of signalling and other assets to deliver best value to the company. The final conclusions of the Access Charge Review 2003 allowed for Network Rail to spend over £2 billion on renewing its signalling assets over the five years from 2004–05 to 2008–09, and also provided for a review of the company's signalling expenditure requirements for 2006–07 and beyond in order to establish a medium-term strategy for signalling. When complete, this should provide signalling suppliers with a clear and stable framework in which to plan their business.