Contributions
2,622 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDEgypt: Suspension of FlightsI am reluctant to go into great detail about security matters but I can assure the noble Lord that the Government remain in close contact with all UK airlines about security…22 Jul 2019HANSARDBuses: Rural ServicesWe operate things differently in England than they do in Scotland. But I stand by what I said earlier in that funding from central government is available. Local authorities can…16 Jul 2019HANSARDBuses: Rural ServicesI reiterate to the noble Lord that we are providing funding—we are supporting £2.12 billion-worth of funding. It is not just about the money; it is also about being innovative…16 Jul 2019HANSARDBuses: Rural ServicesMy Lords, we operate things differently than they do in Switzerland. The Swiss may decide that that is best for their local communities, and it is up to any local authority in…16 Jul 2019HANSARDBuses: Rural ServicesI quite agree with the noble Lord that we need new thinking in this area. It is not just about money; this Government are supporting road passenger transport 12% more in real…16 Jul 2019HANSARDBuses: Rural ServicesIt is the case that local authorities have a statutory duty to provide some concessionary travel, but they also provide discretionary concessionary travel, which is important too.…16 Jul 2019HANSARDBuses: Rural ServicesMy Lords, the Bus Services Act 2017 provides a number of tools, such as enhanced partnerships and franchising powers, to facilitate local authorities working together with…16 Jul 2019HANSARDBuses: Rural ServicesWe are aware that in certain areas it is a challenge to access certain services using public transport. The Government are doing what they can to support various innovative…16 Jul 2019HANSARDBuses: Rural ServicesThe noble Lord is right that the number of trips on buses is declining, although they represent 55% of all journeys on public transport. But it is also the case that the total…16 Jul 2019HANSARDRailways: South-eastern FranchiseI assure the noble Baroness that the Government are making it clear to the regulator that we expect a robust and rigorous challenge. It is of course independent, but we recognise…04 Jul 2019HANSARDRailways: South-eastern FranchiseI thank the noble Lord for his observations. As he well knows, this process is ongoing, so any increases are not yet confirmed. But my department expects the independent…04 Jul 2019HANSARDRailways: South-eastern FranchiseMy Lords, the periodic review process that will determine the new track access charges for HS1 from April 2020 is ongoing and is the responsibility of the independent rail…04 Jul 2019HANSARDRailways: South-eastern FranchiseI am afraid that the noble Lord has me stumped on that one, because I have not seen those press reports. I will certainly write to him if I can find out any more information.04 Jul 2019HANSARDRailways: South-eastern FranchiseI thank the noble Lord for that comment. I do not agree—surprisingly enough—that the sale of this asset to investors, foreign or otherwise, was a bad idea. Long-term…04 Jul 2019HANSARDRailways: South-eastern FranchiseThe Government absolutely support the movement of freight on rail. We were interested to read the report on freight by the National Infrastructure Commission. It is a very good…04 Jul 2019HANSARDRailways: South-eastern FranchiseI reassure my noble friend that we are keeping a very close eye. Obviously, the new trains are freight like everything else when they are being transported, but we are concerned…04 Jul 2019HANSARDRailways: Newcastle and EdinburghI am aware of the issue raised by the noble Baroness, and of course it is quite wrong if wheelchair spaces are used for luggage. I will ask LNER to ensure that its staff are fully…24 Jun 2019HANSARDRailways: Newcastle and EdinburghWe do not know what the Williams review is going to say on that or indeed any other point, but it will be a root-and-branch review of the entire system so that we can create a…24 Jun 2019HANSARDRailways: Newcastle and EdinburghI thank my noble friend for his Questions on this issue. As I have said to him previously, air travel in this country is subject to a competitive market and certain services will…24 Jun 2019HANSARDRailways: Newcastle and EdinburghI thank my noble friend for his intervention. I too am a traveller using South Western Railway and I was disappointed that services were interrupted last week. Obviously, we are…24 Jun 2019