To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, when he (a) last met and (b) plans to meet ScotRail.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, when he (a) last met and (b) plans to meet ScotRail.

The nationalisation of ScotRail has been another SNP transport fiasco. The Scottish Government’s flagship £25 million scheme to boost the amount of freight transported by rail failed to achieve growth. Their mismanagement of ScotRail and their own budget has led to a double-whammy price hike for passengers, with the return of peak fares at the same time as price rises. Does the Secretary of State agree that, at a time when we need better trains to boost growth and reduce emissions, the SNP has instead consigned Scotland to a spiral of decline and let my constituents down?

The nationalisation of ScotRail has been another SNP transport fiasco. The Scottish Government’s flagship £25 million scheme to boost the amount of freight transported by rail failed to achieve growth. Their mismanagement of ScotRail and their own budget has led to a double-whammy price hike for passengers, with the return of peak fares at the same time as price rises. Does the Secretary of State agree that, at a time when we need better trains to boost growth and reduce emissions, the SNP has instead consigned Scotland to a spiral of decline and let my constituents down?

I agree. We will not make the same mistakes when we take train operating companies into public ownership. We will do it properly. It is a massive undertaking, but we will make our railways a system for the whole country to be proud of.

I agree. We will not make the same mistakes when we take train operating companies into public ownership. We will do it properly. It is a massive undertaking, but we will make our railways a system for the whole country to be proud of.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if the Government will provide a breakdown of compensation paid to passengers under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 by ScotRail.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if the Government will provide a breakdown of compensation paid to passengers under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 by ScotRail.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures the Department for Transport has taken to ensure that the appointment of the Managing Director of ScotRail Alliance to the Network Rail Executive Committee does not give a commercial advantage to Abellio in respect of future franchise bids across the UK.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures the Department for Transport has taken to ensure that the appointment of the Managing Director of ScotRail Alliance to the Network Rail Executive Committee does not give a commercial advantage to Abellio in respect of future franchise bids across the UK.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 27 October 2015 to Question 13080, whether a clause exists in the lease agreement referred to in that Answer that would enable Great Western Railway's Intercity 125 fleet to remain temporarily with that franchise if the introduction...

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 27 October 2015 to Question 13080, whether a clause exists in the lease agreement referred to in that Answer that would enable Great Western Railway's Intercity 125 fleet to remain temporarily with that franchise if the introduction...

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the transfer of Intercity 125 sets from the Great Western franchise to the Scotrail franchise in 2017-18 is conditional on Network Rail meeting its current regulated output targets on the Great Western Main Line electrification project.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the transfer of Intercity 125 sets from the Great Western franchise to the Scotrail franchise in 2017-18 is conditional on Network Rail meeting its current regulated output targets on the Great Western Main Line electrification project.

(3) what payments First Scotrail made to the Exchequer in each financial year since April 2004; and what payments First Scotrail received from the public purse in each of those years;

[164376]

Mr Raab:

(3) what payments First Scotrail made to the Exchequer in each financial year since April 2004; and what payments First Scotrail received from the public purse in each of those years;

[164376]

Mr Raab:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects new rolling stock for the Anglo-Scottish sleeper service to be procured.

[139381]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects new rolling stock for the Anglo-Scottish sleeper service to be procured.

[139381]

In my case, no doubt everyone will realise that the grandfather will have to pay. That is one part of it. I strongly support what my noble friend Lord Maclennan said when he asked my noble and learned friend on the Front Bench to take this matter away, consider it...

In my case, no doubt everyone will realise that the grandfather will have to pay. That is one part of it. I strongly support what my noble friend Lord Maclennan said when he asked my noble and learned friend on the Front Bench to take this matter away, consider it...

My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Lord, who put the nub of the issue facing the Government and the Committee very forcefully and clearly. Once more in this Committee, the noble and learned Lord is caught in a pincer movement between my noble friend Lord Foulkes...

My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Lord, who put the nub of the issue facing the Government and the Committee very forcefully and clearly. Once more in this Committee, the noble and learned Lord is caught in a pincer movement between my noble friend Lord Foulkes...

My amendment is different from that of the noble Lord, Lord Foulkes, and we will no doubt come to it, but I have a simple, straightforward question for the noble Lord. Do the Opposition think that as part of the devolution framework, of which they were the midwives or architects,...

My amendment is different from that of the noble Lord, Lord Foulkes, and we will no doubt come to it, but I have a simple, straightforward question for the noble Lord. Do the Opposition think that as part of the devolution framework, of which they were the midwives or architects,...

I have not been long in your Lordships' House, but I have learnt to be wary of the noble Lord’s simple questions. It is a pretty straightforward question and, when we were sharing responsibility with the people of Scotland for the devolution settlement, it was certainly never envisaged that this...

I have not been long in your Lordships' House, but I have learnt to be wary of the noble Lord’s simple questions. It is a pretty straightforward question and, when we were sharing responsibility with the people of Scotland for the devolution settlement, it was certainly never envisaged that this...

I am most grateful to the noble Lord and I am completely out of my depth because I have never really understood the legal profession. Is he saying that a situation existed where there were rights of audience that were unique to Scots that would not apply in England, but...

I am most grateful to the noble Lord and I am completely out of my depth because I have never really understood the legal profession. Is he saying that a situation existed where there were rights of audience that were unique to Scots that would not apply in England, but...

The noble Lord raises a point of principle. My point was that, to my knowledge, there was one other offence to that principle. Others may know of others. I do not know whether that situation persists because I am not up to date enough. I know that there was a...

The noble Lord raises a point of principle. My point was that, to my knowledge, there was one other offence to that principle. Others may know of others. I do not know whether that situation persists because I am not up to date enough. I know that there was a...

Would the noble Lord care to bear in mind that the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Act removed the discrimination which he claimed with regard to rights of audience for solicitor advocates? I also understand that my noble and learned friend Lord Mackay of Clashfern was instrumental in ensuring that...

Would the noble Lord care to bear in mind that the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Act removed the discrimination which he claimed with regard to rights of audience for solicitor advocates? I also understand that my noble and learned friend Lord Mackay of Clashfern was instrumental in ensuring that...

Perhaps my noble friend would remember that we do not need to have a solution that covers every form of discrimination. He should not allow the waters to be muddied by the somewhat unhelpful intervention of the noble Lord, Lord Forsyth, by way of a question. It is quite clear...

Perhaps my noble friend would remember that we do not need to have a solution that covers every form of discrimination. He should not allow the waters to be muddied by the somewhat unhelpful intervention of the noble Lord, Lord Forsyth, by way of a question. It is quite clear...

I am grateful to the noble Lord for that intervention. I am a member of a profession that prides itself on discrimination—at least certainly in its history it did—between those who had rights of audience in the higher courts and those who were historically perfectly capable of making the arguments...

I am grateful to the noble Lord for that intervention. I am a member of a profession that prides itself on discrimination—at least certainly in its history it did—between those who had rights of audience in the higher courts and those who were historically perfectly capable of making the arguments...