Select Committee on Transport Written Evidence


Letter from the Minister of State, Department for Transport, to the Chairman of the Committee (RR 33B)

  At my attendance at the Transport Select Committee's Inquiry on Rural Railways, on 15 December, I undertook to write to you on a number of issues and subsequently did so on 18 January. However at the time there was one issue on which I was unable to offer the Committee a firm assurance and that was on the future funding for the Association of Community Rail Partnerships (ACORP). I therefore sought further clarification from Alun Michael, the Minister for State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on this matter. I have now received his reply and am able to offer the Committee a more substantive response on this issue.

  I am happy to inform the Committee that Alun Michael has confirmed that DEFRA will offer ACORP some support for the next financial year. They have not yet informed the Association of their decision, but hope to do so shortly.

  I would also like to reiterate our firm commitment to maintain, at least to the present level, the funding provided to ACORP through the Strategic Rail Authority. Thus for the financial year 2005-06 the Authority will continue to provide a minimum of £45,000 to the Association.

  Community Rail Partnerships are an essential strand of the Community Rail Development Strategy. Although CRPs exist independently of the strategy, each Community Rail line will need to have the support of a Community Rail Partnership, and as their representative body, ACORP's assistance in the development of the Strategy has been vital and will continue to be so as the Strategy is rolled out. I am therefore pleased to be in a position to inform the Committee of this positive outcome on this matter.

Tony McNulty

15 March 2005



 
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