Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)
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Wednesday Volume 630 1 November 2017 No. 44 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Wednesday 1 November 2017 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2017 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 799 1 NOVEMBER 2017 800 Alun Cairns: The hon. Lady will be well aware that House of Commons advances in bimodal technology mean that electrification between Cardiff and Swansea would not save passengers Wednesday 1 November 2017 any significant journey time. She makes an interesting point about north Wales, and I hope that she is aware of The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock the £43 million of signalling improvement that has taken place in north Wales to improve speed and reliability PRAYERS along the line. In addition, the Crewe hub offers great potential for bringing the benefits of HS2, a major UK [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] rail investment programme, to north Wales as well as to the north of England. BUSINESS BEFORE QUESTIONS Liz Twist: What will the Secretary of State be doing HILLSBOROUGH to create a more competitive and cost-effective environment Resolved, for rail infrastructure in Wales? That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, That she will be graciously pleased to give directions that there be laid Alun Cairns: A major multibillion investment programme before this House a Return of the Report, entitled ‘The patronising is benefiting rail passengers in Wales. Earlier this year, disposition of unaccountable power’—A report to ensure the the Public Accounts Committee asked us to reassess the pain and suffering of the Hillsborough families is not repeated, dated 1 November 2017.—(Guto Bebb.) electrification programme on a stage-by-stage basis, and that was what we did. We are therefore using the latest advances in modern technology to ensure that Oral Answers to Questions passengers in Swansea and west Wales get the benefits of the most modern trains on the network immediately, rather than perhaps waiting for the traditional technology WALES of electric-only trains. The Secretary of State was asked— Alex Norris: On 16 May, the Transport Secretary said that electrification was definitely happening and that he wanted to see an end to “smelly diesel trains”, so there Swansea Main Line: Electrification was widespread disappointment on 20 July when 1. Laura Smith (Crewe and Nantwich) (Lab): What electrification was cancelled between Cardiff and Swansea, recent assessment he has made of the effect on the and also for the midland main line, with Ministers Welsh economy of the Government’s decision not to citing the fact that new technology made electrification electrify the main line to Swansea. [901487] unnecessary. Can the Secretary of State satisfy the House that this is not another cynical broken election 4. Liz Twist (Blaydon) (Lab): What recent assessment promise by outlining what technological breakthrough he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the was made after the ballot boxes closed? Government’s decision not to electrify the main line to Swansea. [901490] Alun Cairns: One of the strong advocates for electrification was Professor Mark Barry, but he said 15. Alex Norris (Nottingham North) (Lab/Co-op): that the bimodal fleet neutralised the case. The hon. What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Gentleman makes an interesting point about diesel Welsh economy of the Government’s decision not to trains because these bimodal trains will use the latest electrify the main line to Swansea. [901501] and most environmentally friendly diesel generators. The Secretary of State for Wales (Alun Cairns): Before The latest trains can even exceed the maximum speed I respond to questions, I would like to convey the that could be achieved between Cardiff and Swansea. thoughts and prayers of the whole House to the families Of course they will stick to the maximum speed along and community in Llangammarch Wells following the that route, but that demonstrates their flexibility. tragic fire earlier this week. Antoinette Sandbach (Eddisbury) (Con): The benefits The Government are delivering the biggest rail investment of the Crewe hub station rely on a business case of five programme for more than a century. The Great Western trains an hour to deliver improvements to not only to modernisation programme includes £5.7 billion of my constituents in Eddisbury, but north Wales. What is investment in new trains. It will cut journey times from the Secretary of State doing to support that case? south Wales to London by 15 minutes, which will make south Wales more attractive to investors, and bring Alun Cairns: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of significant benefits to our economy and passengers State for Transport and I meet regularly to discuss the alike. whole range of rail infrastructure programmes in Wales. The integrated way in which the network works via the Laura Smith: May I associate myself with the Secretary Crewe hub offers potential not only to my hon. Friend’s of State’s comments? I offer my deepest condolences. constituency, but to north Wales, because bringing the The Government’s decision not to go ahead with benefits of high-speed rail to Crewe will benefit north electrifying the main line to Swansea has been a bitter Wales as well. blow to south Wales. My constituency is less than 20 miles from north Wales, and many of my constituents Kevin Foster (Torbay) (Con): I was a member of the have written to ask me what steps the Government are Public Accounts Committee when it came up with its taking to electrify the north Wales coast line. Can the cross-party recommendations in February,so I am pleased Secretary of State provide any clarification today? to hear the Secretary of State cite them. Does he agree 801 Oral Answers 1 NOVEMBER 2017 Oral Answers 802 that any future electrification needs to be based on a Alun Cairns: I hope that the hon. Lady recognises robust assessment? It is worth bearing in mind that the that we are using the latest technology so that we have bimodal trains that he proposes for Swansea are exactly more capacity and faster trains going to Swansea. She what most other parts of the Great Western network, needs to consider the fact that the original plans involved including Plymouth and Torbay, will be getting anyway. 15-minute savings between Swansea and Paddington, but the bimodal trains will still bring about 15-minute Alun Cairns: My hon. Friend makes a logical, reasonable savings. We are bringing in the most modern technology and helpful point in recognising that by using the latest and the most modern bimodal trains on the network technology we are offering more capacity and much now, rather than waiting another couple of years and faster trains, which is a major benefit to Swansea and to causing Swansea additional disruption. west Wales. Criticising the decision to use the latest technology on the line to Swansea does nothing more Jonathan Edwards (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr) than undermine investment in the city. (PC): With reports that HS2 will cost more than £100 billion, alongside £15 billion for HS3 and another 12. [901498] Geraint Davies (Swansea West) (Lab/Co-op): £30 billion for Crossrail 2, it is an absolute scandal that Rail electrification from London to Cardiff will save the British Government have broken their promise to 15 minutes of journey time, but the new Swansea metro electrify the main line to Swansea, despite the fact that proposal would save half an hour between Cardiff and that would cost only £400 million. Given the priorities Swansea. What is more, the city deal will create of the British Government, is it not the case that the 10,000 jobs and more passenger demand. Will the only way to ensure that Wales gets its fair share of rail Secretary of State look again at the business case for an investment is to devolve full responsibility for rail electrified metro between Swansea and Cardiff that will infrastructure? provide an environmentally friendly and stronger future, and offset the negative impacts of HS2 on Alun Cairns: I am surprised by the hon. Gentleman’s investment in south Wales? tone because the bimodal trains will improve connectivity to his constituency and west Wales. His constituents Alun Cairns: Clearly the Swansea metro is a different would not have benefited from the previous proposal proposal, but I am keen to meet Professor Mark Barry for electric-only trains to Swansea. Of course, the network to discuss its potential. It is an interesting addition to a in Wales is part of the UK network, and when he wide-ranging debate in which there are also proposals compares spending, he needs to think logically. For to improve the frequency of trains to Carmarthenshire example, he has been supportive of the Halton curve, and Pembrokeshire. At the moment, passengers from which is in England but will bring major benefits to the west Wales often drive to Port Talbot to get on the train, network between north Wales and Liverpool. but I think that we can come up with much more imaginative solutions. The metro is an additional solution Heathrow Expansion to consider as part of that debate. 2. Paul Masterton (East Renfrewshire) (Con): What Stephen Doughty (Cardiff South and Penarth) (Lab/ discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the Co-op): The Secretary of State will be aware that in potential benefits for Wales of the proposed expansion addition to deep concerns about the failure to electrify of Heathrow airport. [901488] beyond Cardiff, there is a worry that Great Western Railway will apparently not offer a bilingual service on The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales main line trains operating into Wales.