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Adjournment debate on Thursday, 12 February 2009, in the House of Commons, led by Louise Ellman. The answering member was Paul Clark.

Sustainable Railways

Westminster Hall debate on a motion for the adjournment on the tenth report from the Transport Select Committee HC 219 2007-08, Delivering a sustainable railway: a 30-year strategy for the railways?, and the Government's response, HC 1105 2007-08.

Secondary information

Type
Parliamentary proceeding
Reference
487 c479-522WH 
Session
2008-09
Department
Department for Transport
Chamber / Committee
Westminster Hall
Related items
Proceeding contributions
John Pugh | 487 c507WH (Link to this contribution) Several hon. Members have talked throughout the debate about the railway model that we have, with th...
Louise Ellman | 487 c479-80WH (Link to this contribution) The Committee's report ““Delivering a sustainable railway: a 30-year strategy for the railways?”” wa...
Show all contributions (76)
Louise Ellman | 487 c481WH (Link to this contribution) I agree with my hon. Friend. It is always important to consider the different needs of the travellin...
David Lepper | 487 c480-1WH (Link to this contribution) My hon. Friend has mentioned London and the south-east and the extra capacity coming there, includin...
Stephen Hammond | 487 c481WH (Link to this contribution) Does the hon. Lady agree that, although the hon. Member for Brighton, Pavilion (David Lepper) has a ...
Louise Ellman | 487 c481-2WH (Link to this contribution) The hon. Gentleman makes important points and underlines the need for better integration of the rail...
John Pugh | 487 c482-3WH (Link to this contribution) I seem to be in the unenviable position of being the only Back-Bench Member present apart from Gover...
John Pugh | 487 c484-5WH (Link to this contribution) I agree that we should look at things in the round. Our rail network is set up so that almost all li...
Mark Lazarowicz | 487 c484WH (Link to this contribution) I have a lot of sympathy for the points made by the hon. Gentleman. As the MP in the room with the m...
Graham Stringer | 487 c485-6WH (Link to this contribution) May I do something that I have never before done in this House, Sir Nicholas? I apologise to hon. Me...
Eric Martlew | 487 c483WH (Link to this contribution) I attended a meeting earlier this week at which there was discussion of the reinstatement of a line ...
John Pugh | 487 c483-4WH (Link to this contribution) It would be nice if Network Rail was always so obliging. Merseytravel is helping with the business c...
John Pugh | 487 c487WH (Link to this contribution) To reinforce that point, a sane way of replacing carriages—we applaud the decision on the new carria...
Graham Stringer | 487 c487WH (Link to this contribution) I agree with my hon. Friend. In fact, the rate of increase in overcrowding on commuter trains into L...
Paul Truswell | 487 c486WH (Link to this contribution) Before my hon. Friend moves on from that point, does he accept that overcrowding in some parts of th...
Jeremy Corbyn | 487 c487WH (Link to this contribution) I agree with my hon. Friend that it is not a question of taking money from London and the south-east...
Graham Stringer | 487 c487WH (Link to this contribution) It is not. It would be a good strategy, as it would stimulate industry and the economy as well as im...
Speaker | 487 c489WH (Link to this contribution) A lot of hon. Members want to speak, and I hope to include them all. There are also the Front-Bench ...
Graham Stringer | 487 c487-9WH (Link to this contribution) My hon. Friend makes a good point, but he cannot help it if those from the north gaze rather envious...
Mark Lazarowicz | 487 c490WH (Link to this contribution) I shall certainly try to follow your injunction, Sir Nicholas. I congratulate the Select Committee o...
Eric Martlew | 487 c490WH (Link to this contribution) In an intervention, my hon. Friend mentioned the Barnett formula. After a high-speed line reaches Ca...
Mark Lazarowicz | 487 c490-2WH (Link to this contribution) If I have time, I shall try to deal with that question, although I suspect that it is more for the M...
Stephen Hammond | 487 c494WH (Link to this contribution) The hon. Gentleman has read out the companies' operating profits and dividends. Will he tell us whic...
Jeremy Corbyn | 487 c493-4WH (Link to this contribution) I welcome the debate and the discussions that we are having. Before I go into my own speech, I want ...
Jeremy Corbyn | 487 c494WH (Link to this contribution) The bulk of the subsidy obviously goes into Network Rail, and a number of the franchisees get direct...
Eric Martlew | 487 c494WH (Link to this contribution) Is not the point that has been made spurious to the extent that if the money did not go into Network...
Jeremy Corbyn | 487 c494-5WH (Link to this contribution) My hon. Friend is absolutely correct. He is thinking of the enormous public investment that has gone...
Stephen Hammond | 487 c496WH (Link to this contribution) I absolutely support what the hon. Gentleman is saying because I have exactly the same problem in my...
Jeremy Corbyn | 487 c496-7WH (Link to this contribution) I agree with the hon. Gentleman on that and hope that he can sign early-day motion 580 on First Capi...
Angela C Smith | 487 c497-501WH (Link to this contribution) My background in further education taught me that it is always better to start with the positives be...
Paul Clark | 487 c522WH (Link to this contribution) No, I will not give way. As for the reopening of lines, which was mentioned by my hon. Friend the Me...
Paul Clark | 487 c522WH (Link to this contribution) We have said how easy it will be to get to London; equally, it will be quicker to reach Manchester, ...
John Pugh | 487 c522WH (Link to this contribution) To a certain extent, the way in which the Minister has responded to the debate shows a colonial mind...
Paul Clark | 487 c521-2WH (Link to this contribution) In order to ensure the best route utilisation, a process is ongoing to assess where the heaviest dem...
Louise Ellman | 487 c521WH (Link to this contribution) I am pleased to hear that there will be progress on electrification, but will my hon. Friend indicat...
Stephen Hammond | 487 c521WH (Link to this contribution) Will the Minister place in the Library a copy of the criteria under which a red light is indicated?
Paul Clark | 487 c521WH (Link to this contribution) The hon. Gentleman will be aware that such information would be commercially sensitive. It would the...
Paul Clark | 487 c520-1WH;487 c520WH (Link to this contribution) Of course I am concerned. Indeed, maintenance and the achievements that have been arrived at on many...
Jeremy Corbyn | 487 c520WH (Link to this contribution) The Minister must be concerned that a number of train operating companies are considering cutting st...
Paul Clark | 487 c521WH (Link to this contribution) The franchises are set up so that they do not penalise the travelling public, as happened in the sou...
Eric Martlew | 487 c521WH (Link to this contribution) I do not want to touch on the companies that are asking for extra money, but am I not correct in say...
John Pugh | 487 c519WH;487 c518WH (Link to this contribution) The hon. Member for Sheffield, Hillsborough raised the point about rebalancing the economy eloquentl...
Paul Clark | 487 c519-20WH;487 c518-20WH (Link to this contribution) I also said that I will move on to the longer-term programme. As part of that we must link towns and...
Mark Lazarowicz | 487 c509WH (Link to this contribution) My hon. Friend makes an important point, but does the situation not also highlight one of the proble...
John Grogan | 487 c509-10WH (Link to this contribution) I agree with my hon. Friend to an extent, but I disagree with him about open-access services. There ...
Mark Hunter | 487 c510-1WH (Link to this contribution) It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Nicholas. I thank the Chairman of the Transpo...
Eric Martlew | 487 c507WH (Link to this contribution) When Railtrack was going to upgrade the west coast main line, I think the bill was £13 billion. It w...
Eric Martlew | 487 c508WH (Link to this contribution) I know, but it is an easy way of getting in the paper. There has been no greater critic of Virgin T...
John Grogan | 487 c508-9WH (Link to this contribution) I have just five quick points. First, I remind the House that there are only 316 days until Christm...
Speaker | 487 c516WH (Link to this contribution) Order. I have to say to the hon. Member for Carlisle that I am rather pleased that the hon. Member f...
Stephen Hammond | 487 c513-6WH (Link to this contribution) At the moment we are discussing the governance issues of Network Rail, so let us continue to do so. ...
Eric Martlew | 487 c516WH (Link to this contribution) I am a bit worried because the hon. Gentleman has said ““finally””. He did promise that he would tel...
Eric Martlew | 487 c513WH (Link to this contribution) Can the hon. Gentleman take this opportunity to give us the Opposition's fares policy?
Stephen Hammond | 487 c513WH (Link to this contribution) I shall come to that later. I am sure that you will be waiting earnestly and excitedly to hear it.
Stephen Hammond | 487 c512-3WH (Link to this contribution) It is always a pleasure to see you in the Chair, Sir Nicholas. Like other hon. Members, I wish to ex...
Angela C Smith | 487 c513WH (Link to this contribution) Does the hon. Gentleman not consider Network Rail to be a vast improvement on its predecessor, Railt...
Speaker | 487 c513WH (Link to this contribution) I am not waiting: the hon. Member for Carlisle is waiting. The word ““you”” is not appropriate.
Stephen Hammond | 487 c513WH (Link to this contribution) I am disappointed that even Sir Nicholas is not waiting. But I take it that the hon. Gentleman may b...
Paul Clark | 487 c518WH (Link to this contribution) I said clearly that they will come into service between now and 2014. Those decisions have been take...
Stephen Hammond | 487 c516WH (Link to this contribution) I hear your strictures, Sir Nicholas, but I hope that you will allow me just a little latitude in a ...
Stephen Hammond | 487 c516-7WH (Link to this contribution) I know he was. A number of the problems that we can see today have been attributed to the fact that ...
Paul Truswell | 487 c517WH (Link to this contribution) The hon. Gentleman is incredibly generous in giving way. I hope that I am not sailing too close to t...
Stephen Hammond | 487 c517WH (Link to this contribution) The hon. Gentleman has been listening far too much to his party's propaganda. I will reiterate what ...
Paul Clark | 487 c517-8WH (Link to this contribution) I welcome your chairmanship this afternoon, Sir Nicholas. This has been a very interesting debate. I...
Stephen Hammond | 487 c518WH (Link to this contribution) May I ensure that I heard the Minister correctly? Did he say that the 1,300 carriages will be in ope...
Louise Ellman | 487 c504WH (Link to this contribution) I endorse my hon. Friend's comments. A lot of good could be done with Network Rail, and its performa...
David Drew | 487 c504-5WH (Link to this contribution) I thank my hon. Friend for those comments, and I refer her to paragraph 61 of the report, and the co...
David Drew | 487 c501-4WH (Link to this contribution) It is a delight to take part in this debate. Two colleagues also wish to take part, so I shall keep ...
Eric Martlew | 487 c505-6WH (Link to this contribution) I wish to put on the record, Sir Nicholas, my thanks to you as co-chair of the all-party parliamenta...
Jeremy Corbyn | 487 c506WH (Link to this contribution) I am sure that the hon. Gentleman would agree that one way of looking at the matter is to consider t...
Mark Lazarowicz | 487 c505WH (Link to this contribution) I am grateful to my hon. co-operator of a Friend for giving way. Over the past few days, have we per...
David Drew | 487 c505WH (Link to this contribution) I agree, which is why the co-operative mutual model has some merit. The model is not the answer to t...
Eric Martlew | 487 c506-7WH (Link to this contribution) I understand that, but it is obviously easier for my hon. Friend to say that when we spend billions ...
Subjects
Cost effectiveness Fares Finance Investment Franchises High speed trains Planning Management Public transport Procurement Railways Network Rail Standards Sustainable development Subsidies Train operating companies Transport Committee Electrification Rolling stock
Link
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