By Press Release
The government doesn’t know how much public money it has paid out for Island Line, and has told the IW Observer to ask a train company for the information, but it is not obliged to answer.
Last month we revealed that official figures suggested passenger numbers in the first five months after Island Line reopened had fallen by almost 30 per cent. We also disclosed that the government still intends Island Line to become a “separate self-sustaining business” after previously being supported by grants of up to £4 million a year.
We had asked South Western Railway (SWR) for the most up to date passenger numbers and the Department for Transport (DfT) for information on subsidies paid out in respect of Island Line. Neither replied to our queries.
We then submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the DfT asking them for details of capital and revenue subsidies paid in respect of Island Line over the past six years, adding that the request should be transferred to the Treasury if necessary.
This week we received a letter confirming the government doesn’t know how much it has paid out in respect of Island Line during the period. It said: “The Department has completed a thorough search for the information. I can confirm that the Government does not hold the information that you have requested.
“You may wish to contact South Western Railways directly, who may be able to assist you with your request; however, we should explain that South Western Railways is not subject to the FOI Act and so any disclosure of information will be on an entirely voluntary basis.”
Labour spokesman Richard Quigley said: “The uncovering of this information is utterly staggering, but of no surprise as we are used to this government failing at every level. A more successful approach to monitoring our money they throw around may be to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool with cash, at least that way they would know when half of it had been spent.
“This also throws into question the amounts of money our MP claims to have single-handedly wrestled out of government hands for the trains. It’s not good enough and further underlines the need for a change.”
We have asked why information about spending public money is not recorded by the government.
