TUBE DEAL "DODGY AND DANGEROUS"

27.02.02

Davey lambasts PPP for London's tube after meeting with Bob Kiley

Edward Davey, Lib Dem MP for Kingston and Surbiton, today met with the Commissioner for Transport for London, Bob Kiley, at the House of Commons to discuss Mr Kiley's analysis of the Government's draft contracts that will govern the next 30 years of London's Underground. These contracts make up the "Public Private Partnership" - PPP - for the tube.

For the last two weeks, Mr Kiley and Transport for London (TfL) have been studying over 150 separate legal contracts sent to them by the management of London Underground. MP Edward Davey asked for the meeting at this half way point of the Government's four week consultation period with TfL on the proposed tube PPP to receive their expert opinion on the contracts.

Speaking at Westminster after their meeting, Edward Davey said:

"What Bob Kiley told me today makes me profoundly worried about the future of London's tube network.

"The Government's draft contracts are not only incomplete, but contain no method of ending these agreements, if the private contractors fail to deliver. Even the Conservative Government when it privatised the railways allowed for contract termination.

"With the information provided to Transport for London so disturbingly inadequate it makes a total mockery of this consultation process.

"Without full information and an exit for London's commuters, the Government's contracts are both dodgy and dangerous.

"Stephen Byers is foisting a thirty year deal on Londoners, with no get out, during his last thirty days, before he gets out.

"In the last two weeks of this consultation, Liberal Democrats will now be raising the stakes on this deal, and examining all remaining avenues to scupper this appalling deal for London."