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Transport (Wales) Bill

My Lords, the Bill is devolutionary in trend and so I support it. It is quite obvious that I do not come from Wales. However, one of my great-grandfathers was Lord Penrhyn, who, unfortunately, was one-half of the three-year strike by quarrymen around about 1900, about which I shall cease being boastful. When I looked at Clauses 1(1) and 2(1), (2) and (3) and I saw the word ““must””, I wrote down beside them, ““Does this really constitute devolution?””. I do not believe that devolved power and ““must do something”” go together. I went on to write down, ““Of course they should have a strategy, but should choose to do so themselves””. The terminology of the Bill is heavy-handed and does nothing to rebalance the lopsided federalism to which it purports to contribute. That said, I praise the Bill for devolving control of the passenger railway service. However, I wonder why it does so only by implication. Why can we not have the devolution of control of the Welsh rail franchise on the face of the Bill? I did not see it there anyway; perhaps it is there. My main concern about this exercise in devolution is about how limited it is when compared with the devolution of transport in Scotland—where I do come from. The recent transfer of financial control of Network Rail in Scotland and of the ScotRail passenger franchise has given the Scottish Parliament most welcome powers to press ahead with developing the rail network and expanding it. And now I shall start being boastful again—but not, noble Lords will be pleased to hear, about my achievements or those of my family. On 26 September 2005, the Queen Street to Maryhill service was extended to Anniesland. The reopening of the railway to Larkhall on 11 December this year symbolises the renaissance in railway use in Scotland, as does the work being undertaken right in front of my home on the Stirling, Alloa and Kincardine Railway which will benefit passengers, freight, coal and the Forth rail bridge, as well as Edinburgh commuters who will be able to have more paths across the rail bridge because the coal is now coming through Alloa. The Scottish Parliament has before it Bills and plans for a railway in the Borders from Galashiels to Edinburgh, long overdue rail links with Edinburgh and Glasgow Airports and two tram lines in Edingburgh. Consideration has been given to reopening the Bathgate to Drumgelloch railway, thereby recreating a fifth rail route between Edingburgh and Glasgow. Moreover, a sixth route is being considered for bullet train use in the future. Historians of Scottish railways will note that there were six rail routes between Edinburgh and Glasgow, but I know of no proposal to reopen the first one, the Slamannan Railway. Meanwhile, on the roads, the Scottish Executive’s consultation is expected to conclude in the very near future on Scotland-wide free bus travel for older and disabled persons. I accept that going on like this is irrelevant to this Bill.