Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)
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Thursday Volume 517 28 October 2010 No. 61 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Thursday 28 October 2010 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2010 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Parliamentary Click-Use Licence, available online through the Office of Public Sector Information website at www.opsi.gov.uk/click-use/ Enquiries to the Office of Public Sector Information, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU; e-mail: [email protected] 443 28 OCTOBER 2010 444 5. Iain Stewart (Milton Keynes South) (Con): What House of Commons steps he is taking to ensure the economic sustainability of the rail network. [19916] Thursday 28 October 2010 10. Jake Berry (Rossendale and Darwen) (Con): What steps he is taking to ensure the economic The House met at half-past Ten o’clock sustainability of the rail network. [19921] 12. Karl McCartney (Lincoln) (Con): What steps he PRAYERS is taking to ensure the economic sustainability of the rail network. [19923] [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] The Secretary of State for Transport (Mr Philip Hammond): Recent estimates by the Office of Rail Regulation suggest that the UK railway has costs up to 40% higher than comparable European railways. To Oral Answers to Questions secure a fair deal for passengers and taxpayers in the medium term, we must get the cost base of the railway under control. The Rail Value for Money study led by Sir Roy McNulty will report in the spring, and the TRANSPORT Government will then respond to its recommendations. We have recently completed a consultation on passenger rail franchising, and will publish our response in due The Secretary of State was asked— course. Severn Bridges (Tolls) Peter Aldous: The East Suffolk Line has a vital role to play in helping to bring jobs to the east Suffolk and 1. Jessica Morden (Newport East) (Lab): What recent Waveney area. Can the Minister confirm that that will representations he has received on the method of be taken into account when investment decisions are payment of tolls on the Severn Bridges; and if he will made? make a statement. [19912] Mr Hammond: I think that my hon. Friend is referring The Minister of State, Department for Transport to the so-called Beccles loop, a scheme currently being (Mrs Theresa Villiers): The Department for Transport developed by Network Rail whose implementation is has recently received representations from the Wales planned for December 2012. Network Rail is expecting Office about the method of payment on the Severn a £1 million contribution from Suffolk county council. Bridges. The Secretary of State has met the Deputy Subject to that, funds are available for the scheme, and First Minister, and payment methods at the Severn it is expected to proceed on schedule. Crossings were discussed. Iain Stewart: I welcome the Government’s commitment Jessica Morden: The facility enabling people to pay to major rail infrastructure projects between our major with credit and debit cards—for which I was grateful—was cities, but does my right hon. Friend agree that the introduced in time for the Ryder cup, only to be whisked long-term sustainability of our rail network can be away again the minute the event was over. That has enhanced by smaller projects such as the completion of caused confusion. My constituents would like to pay by the east-west rail link between Bletchley and Oxford? modern methods, which is fair enough. Can the Minister assure me that an end to the situation is in sight? Mr Hammond: I entirely agree. When I surveyed the proposed route of the high-speed railway a few weeks Mrs Villiers: I can. I know that a long-running campaign ago, I had an opportunity to examine the alignment of has been conducted by a number of Members. the proposed link. We will shortly begin discussions As the hon. Lady says, the system was introduced for about the programme of enhancements that the the Ryder cup. We considered it important to meet the Government wish to secure for the next railway control deadline, given the significance of the event. The temporary period, which will begin in 2014-15, and I am sure that scheme has been withdrawn for the moment, but is due the project mentioned by my hon. Friend will be one of to be back in operation on Friday next week. That gives those that will be considered carefully. us a chance to do some more work in order to make it more efficient, but there will be further work to make it Jake Berry: The Rossendale to Manchester rail link is more efficient still. We hope to introduce a system in the vital to economic development in Rossendale. Will the new year that will not require PINs. The temporary Secretary of State agree to meet representatives of the system does require them, and that causes delays and East Lancashire heritage railway board to explore ways adds to congestion. of upgrading this heritage line to a commuter link? Rail Network Mr Hammond: I agree that good transport links with Manchester are vital to the regeneration and economic 2. Peter Aldous (Waveney) (Con): What steps he is success of my hon. Friend’s area. I know that the local taking to ensure the economic sustainability of the rail authorities in the area, together with Greater Manchester network. [19913] passenger transport executive, have been working on a 445 Oral Answers28 OCTOBER 2010 Oral Answers 446 scheme, for which the local sustainable transport fund rail vehicles to ease overcrowding and improve the that we have announced—or, alternatively, the regional passenger experience or do we not? We have taken the growth fund—may be a potential source of funds. However, decision that investing for the long term is the right I or one of my colleagues would be happy to meet my answer for the United Kingdom economy. hon. Friend. Maria Eagle (Garston and Halewood) (Lab): It is Karl McCartney: With regard to the economic good to be facing the right hon. Gentleman across the sustainability of the rail network, particularly in my Dispatch Box for our first Transport questions. He constituency of Lincoln, does my right hon. Friend again spent the last week all over the media, from believe that it would be helpful and desirable for Network “Newsnight” to “The Daily Politics”, pretending to be Rail to act more reasonably and wisely in its economic Chief Secretary to the Treasury, so I apologise to him modelling, and to reconsider its proposal to close the for dragging him back to his day job. Why did he tell level crossings in our city, including the one that dissects The Times that fares would rise by 10% over the spending the high street, for over 40 minutes in every daylight review period when commuters are actually facing a hour, a proposal that will decimate my constituency’s hike in fares of 30% plus? economy and the wider economy of Lincolnshire? Mr Hammond: I welcome the hon. Lady to her place. Mr Hammond: I am grateful to my hon. Friend for Perhaps I cannot tell her and her sister apart and that is that question. I am aware of the impact that the level why I was responding to the shadow Chief Secretary crossing in Lincoln has on the life of the town. Indeed, I earlier this week. She refers to a quote. On my arithmetic, have a similar situation in my constituency. There is an RPI plus 3% for the last three years of the spending issue about the way scarce and valuable time on level review period, with RPI plus 1% for next year equates crossings is divided between the railway and the road to a 10% real-terms increase in the regulated average user. That must be informed by some proper cost-benefit fare over the period of the spending review. analysis. The good news is that some new barrier technology is under assessment, which might help us, through a Maria Eagle: I have the quote in front of me. The technical solution, to reduce the amount of barrier-down right hon. Gentleman used a figure. He said this; it is in time necessary. quotation marks, so he can tell me if he was wrongly quoted: Miss Anne Begg (Aberdeen South) (Lab): If the railways are to be economically sustainable, passengers “If you are paying £1,000 for your season ticket now, it could have to be able to get through the stations and on to the cost you £1,100 at the end of the period”. trains, and many disabled people still cannot access That is not saying that it is a real-terms increase of 10%. large numbers of stations and trains are still inaccessible. That is saying that it is an increase of 10% in total. His The Government have decided to abolish the Disabled Government’s own Office for Budget Responsibility Persons Transport Advisory Committee. What process predicts inflation of at least 3.2% from 2012. That will will be put in place instead to ensure that the good work mean a rise of at least 6.2% a year, meaning that by that has been done to improve access is not lost and that 2014, fares will rise by over 30%. I would have expected we do not go backwards? better standards of arithmetic from someone who would rather be in the Treasury. Mr Hammond: I welcome the hon. Lady’s question. Let me try the right hon. Gentleman on another The decision to abolish DPTAC was taken because question.