Thursday Volume 593 5 March 2015 No. 119 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Thursday 5 March 2015 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2015 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 1057 5 MARCH 2015 1058 is that all the options that are being discussed by the House of Commons commission are very different from the proposals considered by the previous Government. Thursday 5 March 2015 Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham) (Con): The House met at half-past Nine o’clock Has the Secretary of State asked the Airports Commission to examine the cumulative impact of any runway extension at Heathrow and how it would affect the local area if it PRAYERS coincided with other projects, such as the construction of HS2, the Amersham waste transfer station and the [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] development of Newland park? What assessment has been made of the impact on the local area? BUSINESS BEFORE QUESTIONS Mr McLoughlin: The commission is doing a TRANSPORT FOR LONDON BILL [LORDS] comprehensive piece of work looking at all the options Consideration of Bill, as amended, opposed and deferred relating to aviation capacity in the south-east and the until Monday 16 March at Seven o’clock (Standing associated infrastructure projects that any project it Order No. 20). suggests will affect, so I am sure it will have considered the points made by my right hon. Friend. Sir John Randall (Uxbridge and South Ruislip) (Con): Oral Answers to Questions Notwithstanding whichever decision the Davies commission comes to, does my right hon. Friend agree that connectivity to Heathrow is now being sorted pretty efficiently through TRANSPORT Old Oak Common and that there is no further need for the Heathrow spur should HS2 go ahead? The Secretary of State was asked— Mr McLoughlin: This may be the last time I am able Airports Commission to address my right hon. Friend in this Chamber. It has been a great pleasure to work with him over many years. 1. Mary Macleod (Brentford and Isleworth) (Con): He has made a huge contribution, not only to the What recent progress has been made by the Airports House of Commons and the Conservative party, but in Commission. [907868] standing up for his constituents in Uxbridge. The Secretary of State for Transport (Mr Patrick I agree with my right hon. Friend that these matters McLoughlin): The Airports Commission recently completed need to be addressed very carefully. Of course, at the a consultation on 3 February on its assessment of moment the whole question of HS2 is being studied by proposals for additional runway capacity. The commission a Committee. I am not going to trespass on the valuable is continuing to undertake further analyses on the shortlist and important work it is doing, but my right hon. of runway options before publishing its final report in Friend makes some valid points. The importance that the summer of 2015. Old Oak Common will have to the infrastructure of this country is vast indeed, and I hope to be able to say a bit Mary Macleod: May I congratulate the Government more about that shortly. on their policy on no third runway at Heathrow? Does the Secretary of State agree that the aviation industry Rural Railway Stations would be best served by a solution that encourages competition; can be delivered sooner, cheaper and easier; 2. Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury) (Con): What takes into account the impact on local residents; and recent discussions he has had with train operating does not require billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money? companies on increasing the use of rural railway stations; and if he will make a statement. [907871] Mr McLoughlin: My hon. Friend has been very consistent in her opposition to any third or fourth runway at The Secretary of State for Transport (Mr Patrick Heathrow, and I know she supports the expansion of McLoughlin): Officials regularly meet train operating other airports. I look forward to receiving the commission’s companies where usage is a key discussion point. We are recommendations and report this summer and to my working hard with the industry to increase rural station hon. Friend’s comments on it. usage. We recognise the important social role of stations Jim Fitzpatrick (Poplar and Limehouse) (Lab): Have in building communities, and have therefore introduced we not just wasted another five years? The coalition has a new policy requirement to develop social and community delayed building new runway capacity for the south-east development plans in new franchises. because the Liberal Democrats are in denial about aviation being a very important economic instrument. I Mr Robertson: I thank the Secretary of State for that think the Conservative party now get it. Why have we response. Does he agree that one way we can get cars off had to wait another five years? the road and reduce congestion on our motorways and, indeed, on smaller roads is to develop rural train stations? Mr McLoughlin: I will not take any lessons from a We have one at Ashchurch for Tewkesbury, which is a party that wasted 13 years in not doing anything about very good station, but it is underused at the moment. extra capacity. It is a bit rich of the hon. Gentleman to Can we try to make such stations better used by train accuse the Government of not taking action. The truth operating companies? 1059 Oral Answers5 MARCH 2015 Oral Answers 1060 Mr McLoughlin: The answer to my hon. Friend’s every local authority in the country to make that point question is yes. Ashchurch for Tewkesbury station has and ask them to bear it in mind when they make their the potential for more use. I would welcome that, as I local decisions. am sure my hon. Friend would too. For new franchises we ask operators to look at such questions in great Mr Gordon Marsden (Blackpool South) (Lab): The detail. I acknowledge his comments, and no doubt Minister has talked in detail about privatising buses and Gloucestershire county council will make such points in bus lanes, but the process needs more than warm words due course. from the Government; it means bus lanes with strong local management and control of funding. Why will the Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden) (Con): As a result Government not sign up to our franchising proposals to of the landslip on the Chiltern line, kiosks and shops at allow communities and councils to plan a network that rural railway stations have suffered a drop of at least includes the bus lanes they need? Why, instead of real 50% in their revenue. Will the Secretary of State urge localism, have this Government presided over a failed Network Rail to look at mitigation, such as reducing record, with bus fares up 25% and 2,000 routes cut, and rents, during the period of disruption? a broken bus market, which lets users down, but which Labour will fix in government? Mr McLoughlin: My right hon. Friend makes a very Mr Goodwill: The Government have a very good good point. I hope that there will be an announcement record on buses. Bus companies, including the one in soon about the full reopening of the line. If that has not my constituency, have very full order books, because already been announced, I think it will be announced they are investing as never before in new buses on routes shortly. I will discuss her very good point directly with such the one north of Whitby in my constituency. We the chief executive of Network Rail. People with businesses have a very good record to protect. who are renting from Network Rail have been directly affected by that landslip. Greater Anglia Franchise Nigel Mills (Amber Valley) (Con): One issue with 4. Sir Alan Haselhurst (Saffron Walden) (Con): When encouraging the use of Ambergate station in my he expects to publish the invitation to tender for the constituency is the strange fare system. Even though a Greater Anglia rail franchise. [907874] fare to the next station is relatively cheap, the cost of a fare to Birmingham from both stations can be very The Secretary of State for Transport (Mr Patrick different. Is there any way that the Secretary of State McLoughlin): The procurement competition has been can fix the fare system to get rid of its anomalies? live since the issue of the procurement documentation on 19 February, and applications are due on 15 April. Mr McLoughlin: I know Ambergate station very well, An invitation to tender will be issued in August, with as the line goes up to Matlock and down to Derby. tender returns due in December 2015. Any delays in the There are indeed anomalies in ticket purchasing on that process will result in a delay to the provision of any new line, and I am only too well aware of such frustrations. rolling stock or services on the line. My hon. Friend makes a valid point, which I certainly want to look at. There are huge opportunities in ticketing, Sir Alan Haselhurst: Is my right hon. Friend aware including with the development of smart technology. that a great many of my constituents expect that the successful bidder will be required, or at least incentivised, to bring in new rolling stock on the Great Eastern and Bus Lanes West Anglia lines to replace the type 317 and 321 trains, which by now are old, uncomfortable, unreliable and 3. Andrew Rosindell (Romford) (Con): What plans he inefficient? has to review vehicular access rights to bus lanes.