RAIL UNION RMT revealed today that Sir Roy McNulty was paid nearly quarter of a million pounds by the Government for writing his “rail review” report that, if implemented, would lead to savage cuts in staffing number and huge increases in fares as the private train companies are given a free run to plunder the network for even greater profits.

In a Freedom of Information request the figures have been confirmed in full:

“FOI Request: McNulty Rail Value for Money Study

Thank you for your request of 22/05/11 in which you requested information under the Freedom of Information Act about the total amount paid by the Department to Sir Roy McNulty for his report into Rail Value for Money, published on 19 May 2011.

Under section 21 of the Act, we are not required to provide information which is already reasonably accessible to you. Information about Sir Roy's fee, and other costs associated with the McNulty report, can be found in Hansard, the record of parliamentary activity, in answer to parliamentary questions.

However, as the answer is quite brief, I will repeat it here:

"Sir Roy McNulty received £218,215 for his work on the Independent Rail Value for Money Study, including remuneration for travel expenses."”

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

“McNulty has had the nerve to tell rail workers that they are overpaid and should face a brutal assault on their jobs, pay and conditions while all along the Government have been loading his bank account with the best part of quarter of a million pounds of tax payers money.

“McNulty may well be a well-paid, hired-gun sent in to do a hatchet job on Britain’s railways but all this information will do is fuel the resistance and harden the mood amongst our members who are geared up for an all out fight to stop his plans.”