Contributions
805 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDRailways BillI have always been clear that there is a role for open access operators on our network where they provide value for money. If I may now turn to passengers, I am not ashamed of the…10 Jun 2026HANSARDRailways BillI will not give way. GBR will also manage access decisions in relation to track capacity, enabling us to unlock the full potential of the whole network. That also means unleashing…10 Jun 2026HANSARDRailways BillNo. I am conscious of giving time to the shadow Secretary of State. I thank all members of the Public Bill Committee for completing the painstaking task of line-by-line scrutiny.…10 Jun 2026HANSARDRailways BillMy hon. Friend has been a dogged campaigner on the railways for her constituents in Hastings and Rye. I believe her proposals are worthy of consideration by Southeastern, a…10 Jun 2026HANSARDRailways BillI beg to move, That the Bill be now read the Third time. Madam Deputy Speaker, with your indulgence, I would like to start my remarks with a short story. This time two years ago,…10 Jun 2026HANSARDRailways BillPeople obviously need to be able to get to the railway station. This Bill gives me the power to establish Great British Railways. I will talk to Great Western Railway about the…10 Jun 2026HANSARDGovia Thameslink Railway Services: Transfer to Public OwnershipI am confirming to the House that on Sunday 31 May, Govia Thameslink Railway’s services, operating as Thameslink, Southern, Great Northern and Gatwick Express, became the fifth to…01 Jun 2026HANSARD High Speed 2 ResetMy hon. Friend the Chair of the Select Committee is right that the problems of HS2 were born many years ago. The fact that the civil engineering was delayed for four years is not…19 May 2026HANSARD High Speed 2 ResetI appreciate that the hon. Gentleman’s Buckinghamshire constituents will have experienced considerable disruption to their lives as a result of this construction project, and I…19 May 2026HANSARD High Speed 2 ResetI would be very happy to ask relevant officers from HS2 to meet my right hon. Friend and look at options for the Hillingdon Outdoor Activities Centre. When I look at the scale of…19 May 2026HANSARD High Speed 2 ResetI cannot spend the money twice. I have taken the decision to reduce the speed of HS2 to 320 kph, which we believe could save up to £2.5 billion and result in delivery a year…19 May 2026HANSARD High Speed 2 ResetI am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his support for our overall approach. I am reassured that we have the capability and capacity that is needed in the executive leadership of…19 May 2026HANSARD High Speed 2 ResetMy hon. Friend is right. This is shocking, and the truth of the matter is that this Government are picking up the bill for the mess created by the previous Government. I would be…19 May 2026HANSARD High Speed 2 ResetAs I said to the right hon. and learned Member for Kenilworth and Southam (Sir Jeremy Wright), in our announcement about Northern Powerhouse Rail a couple of months ago, we…19 May 2026HANSARD High Speed 2 ResetThe hon. Member is right to raise those important issues. We will always treat any whistleblowing complaints with the utmost seriousness. When it comes to fraud, I reassure him…19 May 2026HANSARD High Speed 2 ResetI have been clear and remain clear that we will not extend HS2 north of the west midlands. When I made the Northern Powerhouse Rail announcement a couple of months ago, I…19 May 2026HANSARD High Speed 2 ResetIf the hon. Gentleman would like to write to me about the case for reopening Shap and Tebay, I would gladly consider that. We are reopening some rail stations across the north of…19 May 2026HANSARD High Speed 2 ResetThe hon. Gentleman would expect me to have comprehensive discussions with my colleagues in the Treasury before announcing rail enhancements, and that is what we have done over the…19 May 2026HANSARD High Speed 2 ResetMy hon. Friend is right; the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) never misses an opportunity. I am very concerned about ensuring that connectivity between the UK mainland and…19 May 2026HANSARD High Speed 2 ResetI congratulate the hon. Gentleman on levering in a question on air passenger duty into a statement on HS2.19 May 2026