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Central Railway

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the impact on Chiltern Railway passenger services of (a) the construction and (b) the operation of the Central Railway project. [46314]

Mr. Jamieson: The impact on the operations on the existing network is among the key areas that the SRA will be examining in its further detailed assessment of Central Railway's proposals.

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 15 March 2002 to the hon. Member for Luton, North (Mr. Hopkins) Official Report, column 1276W, on the Central Railway, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Strategic Rail Authority's report on the Central Railway proposal.[46367]

Mr. Jamieson: I am arranging for a copy of the SRA's consultants' report to be placed in the library.

Mr. Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions on what date he received the report of the SRA on the proposed Central Railway Project. [39106]

Mr. Jamieson: The SRA first notified my Department of the conclusions of its high level review on 20 September and discussions about the proposal are continuing.

Rolling Stock

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to the answer of 15 March 2002, Official Report, column 1271W on rolling stock, what proportion of the new vehicles entering service between 1999 and 2001 were ordered after 25 February 1999;

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when the remainder were ordered; and where information regarding the refurbishment of railway rolling stock is held. [45669]

Mr. Jamieson: 15 per cent. of these vehicles were ordered after 25 February 1999. Of the remainder, 53 per cent. were ordered in 1998 and 32 per cent. in 1997. None was ordered between 1 January 1999 and 24 February 1999. Information about refurbishment of rolling stock is held by the rolling stock leasing companies (ROSCOs).

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what rules the Health and Safety Executive applies to the loan of rolling stock by preservation societies to train operating companies. [45304]

Mr. Jamieson: Provided that the vehicles have not been deleted from the Library list of rolling stock permitted to run on the network, and they have not been modified, they are covered by Xgrandfather" rights and do not require further approval under the Railway and Other Transport System (Approval of Works, Plan and Equipment) Regulations.

However, the Railway Safety Regulations 1999 prohibit Mark 1 rolling stock from carrying fare paying passengers from 1 January 2003 unless the vehicles are modified to reduce the risk of overriding or an exemption has been granted for their use. These regulations also prohibit trains from running on the mainline railway that are not protected by a train protection system such as TPWS. The operation of the vehicles will also need to be addressed in the duty holder's Railway Safety Case.

Railtrack

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions whether the Government have approached the European Commission about the possible extension of state aid approval for Railtrack in administration beyond September. [45347]

Mr. Jamieson: No approach has been made.

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what estimate he has made of the additional state aid approval that would be required to extend Railtrack administration for an additional six months beyond the end of September. [45299]

Mr. Jamieson: No such estimate has been made.

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what estimated funding levels were included in the 10 year plan for the level of income assessed for Railtrack by the Regulator for Control Period 3. [45677]

Mr. Jamieson: The original 10-year Plan, published in July 2000, assumed that Railtrack's income in Control Period 3 would be based upon our projections for the fixed element of Railtrack's track access charges. This involved a 2 per cent. increase in real terms for fixed track access charges in 2001–02 and a 2 per cent. reduction in real terms for each of the subsequent nine years.

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Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what percentage increase the 10-year Plan includes for Railtrack income between Control Period 2 and Control Period 3. [45678]

Mr. Jamieson: No detailed breakdown is currently made of how much of the 10-year Plan funding in the Control Period 3 years (2006–07 to 2010–11) will be for Railtrack or for other individual companies. The level of income for Railtrack's successor in CP3 will depend upon the nature of the company and will be determined by the Rail Regulator through a Periodic Review, having regard to his statutory duties under section 4 of the Railways Act 1993.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what system of assessment is in place to monitor the work of Railtrack plc and the Rail Regulator in repairing and replacing rail track; and if he will make a statement; [44635]

(2) what assurances the Government have received from Railtrack plc and the Rail Regulator that the track is being repaired and replaced to a proper level of safety; and if he will make a statement. [44605]

Mr. Jamieson: The Office of the Rail Regulator (ORR) receives monthly information from Railtrack on the physical condition of its track. Railtrack also supplies monthly reports on the numbers of broken rails and other incidents that cause delay. These reports are shared with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and regular liaison takes place between the ORR and HSE so that the safety implications and performance of Railtrack are fully understood.

In addition there is now in place a system of independent reporters who make an assessment directly to the Rail Regulator of the adequacy of Railtrack's stewardship of the network. The Regulator does not repair or replace track and so no system of monitoring his activities exists.

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions whether he is able to provide financial guarantees for commercial funding to the Railtrack administrator beyond 30 September. [40233]

Mr. Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given yesterday, 25 March 2002, by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to my hon. Friend, the Member for Scarborough and Whitby (Lawrie Quinn) [ref. 45966]. I would also refer the hon. Member to the Statement made to the House yesterday by the Secretary of State.

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) when he will have to make a further application for state aid consent to the European Commission if the process of ending Railtrack administration is delayed; [36316]

(2) how much the application for state aid consent from the European Commission for Railtrack was for; [36313]

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(3) how much contingency funding the Government have allowed for in the state aid application to the European Commission for Railtrack. [36315]

Mr. Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given yesterday, 25 March 2002, by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to my hon. Friend the hon. Member for Scarborough and Whitby (Lawrie Quinn) [ref. 45966].

Channel Tunnel

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent discussions he has had with (a) the EU Commissioner for Transport and (b) his French counterpart on the suspension of rail freight services through the Channel Tunnel. [46134]

Mr. Jamieson: Rail freight services through the Tunnel have been severely disrupted since November last year as a result of the actions of would-be illegal immigrants at SNCF's Frethun yard. The Government is extremely concerned at the impact of this disruption on UK businesses. My Department, and others, are in regular contact with both the European Commission and the French Government on this matter.

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the impact has been on his rail freight targets under the 10 year transport plan of the suspension of rail freight services by SNCF through the Channel Tunnel. [46133]

Mr. Jamieson: We will be producing a review of the 10 Year Plan in July this year.

ScotRail

Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what discussions he has had with National Express about the train drivers' strikes against ScotRail; and if he will make a statement. [46355]

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what discussions his Department has had with National Express regarding the industrial dispute by employees of ScotRail; if his Department has given instructions to the company relating to the company's pay offer to drivers; and if ministers have intervened in giving advice to National Express on this matter. [46480]

Mr. Jamieson: Neither DTLR Ministers nor their officials have given any instructions or advice to National Express or ScotRail concerning ScotRail's pay offer to its drivers.

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