Thursday Volume 551 18 October 2012 No. 51 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Thursday 18 October 2012 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2012 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 463 18 OCTOBER 2012 464 taxpayer. Why on earth would the Minister want to House of Commons swap that for the unmitigated disaster of the west coast tender? Is not that free-marketism gone mad? Thursday 18 October 2012 Mr McLoughlin: I draw on what the shadow Lord Chancellor, the right hon. Member for Tooting (Sadiq The House met at half-past Nine o’clock Khan), said when he was a Transport Minister: “The rail franchising system was examined by the National Audit Office last year, and was found to deliver good value for PRAYERS money” and “steadily improving” services. He continued: “Passenger numbers are at their highest levels since the 1940s,” [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] and “punctuality is more than 90 per cent.”—[Official Report, 1 July 2009; Vol. 495, c. 425-6.] Oral Answers to Questions I agree with what the right hon. Gentleman said then, and I think it is the right way forward. Miss Anne McIntosh (Thirsk and Malton) (Con): I TRANSPORT congratulate my right hon. Friend on continuing the policies of this Government as well as the last, but there The Secretary of State was asked— are lessons to be learned for both the east coast and the west coast franchise. Will he ensure that the product of Colne-Skipton Rail Link the east coast main line service will remain the premier service in the land? 1. Andrew Stephenson (Pendle) (Con): What assessment he has made of the potential for reintroducing the Mr McLoughlin: I want all services to be good services Colne to Skipton rail link. [123207] and to serve hon. Members’ constituents, but of course we have lessons to learn—lessons from the way in which The Minister of State, Department for Transport certain franchises were unable to continue under the (Mr Simon Burns): The Department for Transport has previous Government. I made a statement to the House not made an independent assessment of the economic on Monday in which I said that we would learn those benefits arising from reopening the Skipton to Colne lessons. Two reviews are being undertaken, and I look line. Where local travel needs are the central objective, forward to receiving their representations. we look to the local authorities concerned to take the first step in evaluating benefits and prioritising available Lilian Greenwood (Nottingham South) (Lab): The resources. Secretary of State continues to claim that privatising the east coast rail service is necessary to deliver new Andrew Stephenson: I hope the Minister has seen my investment, but he knows full well that both the planned early-day motion 479, setting out the work of the improvements for the line and the new generation of Skipton East Lancashire Rail Action Partnership campaign inter-city trains are being funded by the taxpayer. In the group, which is fighting for the line to be reopened. Will light of the west coast fiasco, will he rethink his opposition he meet with me and representatives of SELRAP to to allowing the east coast line to be run as a not-for- discuss the huge potential benefits of reopening the private-profit service, not least since, as my hon. Friend line? the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne Central (Chi Onwurah) said, it returned £187 million to taxpayers Mr Burns: I hope my hon. Friend is reassured when I last year—money that, from next year, will have to be say that I have seen and read early-day motion 479. I am split with shareholders? more than happy to meet with him and, if he agrees, I think it would be sensible to meet with the relevant Mr McLoughlin: The hon. Lady is rewriting history: local authorities as well. the simple fact is that the previous Government were committed to franchising on the east coast main line— East Coast Main Line [Interruption.] The hon. Member for Bolsover (Mr Skinner) says he is not bothered about that any more; I shall 2. Chi Onwurah (Newcastle upon Tyne Central) (Lab): remind him of things that he supported in the past but If he will consider abandoning the planned privatisation now attacks. of the East Coast Mainline rail service. [123208] Mr Dennis Skinner (Bolsover) (Lab): Who supported The Secretary of State for Transport (Mr Patrick the nationalisation of rail? McLoughlin): Following the tabling of this question, I considered what the hon. Lady is asking me to do, but Mr Speaker: We are grateful for that. I have decided to follow the policy set by the previous Government, who believed in franchising. Rail Electrification Chi Onwurah: Since 1997 we have seen Great North 3. Mr Robert Buckland (South Swindon) (Con): What Eastern Railway fail and National Express fail, but now recent progress his Department has made on rail we have East Coast trains returning £187 million to the electrification. [123210] 465 Oral Answers18 OCTOBER 2012 Oral Answers 466 The Secretary of State for Transport (Mr Patrick 18. [123226] Neil Carmichael (Stroud) (Con): In view McLoughlin): The Government are committed to an of the need for strategic planning, will the Secretary of extensive rolling programme of electrification; by the State bear in mind that everyone would like electrified end of the decade, around three quarters of passenger railway lines and that provision should be made to miles travelled in England and Wales will be on electric give comfort to investors and for infrastructure trains. Electrification will deliver trains that are cleaner, developments? quieter, faster and cheaper to operate, with more capacity for passenger and freight customers. Mr McLoughlin: As I said earlier, electrification brings many advantages to the rail network, so what my hon. Mr Buckland: Electrification of the great western line Friend asks for will be delivered by electrification. The through Swindon and beyond will allow increased train plans we have put forward are the most ambitious put capacity. Will my right hon. Friend ensure that the need forward by any Government. for more seats to allow more passengers to use the service in comfort will be at the heart of the greater Alison Seabeck (Plymouth, Moor View) (Lab): South- western franchise process when it is reopened? west MPs met yesterday to discuss the pause in the greater western franchise. One of the concerns raised Mr McLoughlin: Indeed it will. I know that my hon. was the impact of the current ring-fenced electrification Friend has campaigned for greater capacity on that line programme, which had been built into people’s bid for some time. I believe that electrification will lead to plans. The issue was whether we would in fact see a an increase of 20% in seating capacity on the line by worse service as a result of those electrification plans, as 2018. we have been unable to take the franchise bid forward and there are new timetables because of the works Mr Clive Betts (Sheffield South East) (Lab): I welcome required for electrification. the Secretary of State to his job. As he will know, I welcome the go-ahead for the tram train pilot project between Sheffield and Rotherham. The trams will not Mr McLoughlin: As with any major infrastructure be delivered until 2015 and there will probably then be a project, there will be delays while that is taken forward, couple years of evaluation. If the scheme is successful—I but ultimately there will be a far better service. am sure that it will be—rolling it out will depend on having underused heavy rail lines that are electrified. Rail Capacity (London/Brimsdown) Will he bear that in mind when considering future electrification? 4. Nick de Bois (Enfield North) (Con): What recent representations he has received on investment for a Mr McLoughlin: I will certainly bear in mind the third railway track between London, Liverpool Street hon. Gentleman’s comments. He has always fought and Brimsdown. [123211] hard for an improved service for his constituents and in the Sheffield area. I will look closely at what he has said. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Stephen Hammond): My hon. Friend refers to a small 14. [123222] Ian Swales (Redcar) (LD): Does the new Secretary of State recognise the need for electrification scheme involving a piece of extra track in the Brimsdown in the Tees valley so that we can have a metro service to area. The Mayor of London wrote to the Secretary of connect the large conurbation together? State this week commending the alternative, but more expensive, scheme, which would also facilitate economic Mr McLoughlin: I take that as a bid, and it is one that regeneration. I will look at in more detail. I am sure that I will hear much more about it from my hon. Friend. Nick de Bois: The Minister will know that the project enjoys substantial support from Network Rail, north Chris Bryant (Rhondda) (Lab): We in the south Wales London boroughs and the Mayor’s office. It is crucial to valleys are delighted that those lines are to be electrified, the development of north London, including for potentially but can the Secretary of State tell us when that work up to 33% of new homes, and for more than 20,000 jobs. will start and how much faster journey times between Will he meet me to discuss support for financial frontloading Treherbert, Llwynypia and Cardiff will be? If he is with resulting payback from local authorities, developers unable to pronounce those place names or tell us today, and stakeholders? Any expression of support would be will he please write to me? welcome.