Railways: Reopenings
Debate between Lord Spicer and Lord Popat
Lord Popat
My Lords, I thank the noble Lord for his compliment. The £20 million that has been allocated by the Government is for the 14 new bids that we have recently received. With regard to the investment of £1 billion, one must look at the McNulty report where the study recommends a review of a number of things. One of the recommendations, if implemented, will bring efficiencies and savings of between £2.5 billion and £3.5 billion.
Lord Spicer
My Lords, does my noble friend accept that before privatisation all the talk was of the closure of railway lines and that after privatisation it is all about reopening them? Nowhere is this more true than on the line to Worcester that the noble Lord, Lord Faulkner, champions.