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Address in Reply to Her Majesty's Most Gracious Speech

My Lords, I am not keen on targets, but I believe that in setting out guidance for local transport plans, there should be objective targets. We should not be relying on subjective judgment, which is an awful thing to rely on. Lastly, the noble Lord, Lord Snape, mentioned community railways. I ask that the Government give England the same treatment as is given to Wales and Scotland. I know there are problems with the Barnett formula, but my noble Lord Mar and Kellie will describe some of what is happening in Scotland, and I know good things are happening in Wales in Ebbw Vale. As the noble Lord, said, however, we are not seeing our community railways developed here in England. That is partly a question of research, but also, taking what the Chancellor has said this morning, of not burdening those railways with masses of regulations. The fact that the Parry People Mover has not been allowed on the Stourbridge junction line, as referred to by the noble Lord, is a monument to the regulatory constipation we have in this country. I should think the amount of paper that has been generated weighs more than the train itself. It is as bad as that.