Contributions
939 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Williams-Shapps Plan for RailIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Fovargue, and to reply to this debate secured by my hon. Friend the Member for Cleethorpes (Martin Vickers). I thank him for his…14 Jun 2023HANSARD East West Rail: Bedford to CambridgeIt is a pleasure, Sir Mark, to serve under your chairmanship this afternoon. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Richard Fuller) for securing this…13 Jun 2023HANSARD East West Rail: Bedford to CambridgeI know the hon. Gentleman is going to tell me that he will do a lot more in the future, but the trouble is that we only have Labour’s record to judge him on, not his future deeds.…13 Jun 2023HANSARD East West Rail: Bedford to CambridgeThat was more than an intervention. The reality is—13 Jun 2023HANSARD East West Rail: Bedford to CambridgeI am impressed with that argument, actually, that rather than electrifying lines—I am a big supporter of that, and we want to and will do more, as we have done 1,200 miles…13 Jun 2023HANSARD East West Rail: Bedford to CambridgeOf course, Sir Mark. I am happy to do so, but the invention was so long that I thought you might give me the grace of replying to it fully. I think the point has been made.…13 Jun 2023HANSARD East West Rail: Bedford to CambridgeI will make a little more progress, then I will perhaps give way one final time. My hon. Friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire mentioned the housing challenges in the…13 Jun 2023HANSARD East West Rail: Bedford to CambridgeThat is not a commitment I can give. As we know, those who tend to write back on consultations tend to be the most affected and are therefore the most troubled by the issue. That…13 Jun 2023HANSARDRail UsageI thank my hon. Friend for his letter, for the number of times we have met to discuss this issue and for his enthusiasm, which is shared not only by me, but by the Secretary of…08 Jun 2023HANSARDRail UsageUnder the current national rail contracts, train operators earn a fee linked to their performance on addressing key passenger priorities, including punctuality, reliability,…08 Jun 2023HANSARDTopical QuestionsI congratulate Luton Town. As the hon. Lady knows, my family are big supporters; they have been there through the bad times and they will be there in the good ones as well. I also…08 Jun 2023HANSARDAccess for AllI have recently come back from a very positive trip to Manchester, where I met stakeholders. I have no doubt that I will be there again soon, and I would be very happy to call in…08 Jun 2023HANSARDHS2: Monitoring and OversightIt is certainly the case that the High Speed Rail (London – West Midlands) Act 2017 and the High Speed Rail (West Midlands – Crewe) Act 2021 specify the circumstances in which HS2…08 Jun 2023HANSARDHS2: Monitoring and OversightI was very pleased to sit down very recently with my hon. Friend, people from HS2 Ltd and Buckinghamshire Council to go through some of the matters that were on his agenda. I know…08 Jun 2023HANSARDHS2: Monitoring and OversightComprehensive monitoring arrangements are in place for HS2, which all provide an up-to-date view of the status, challenges and opportunities facing the programme. We produce a…08 Jun 2023HANSARDRail UsageI am conscious that these matters are devolved in Northern Ireland but, as I have said before to all Members of the House, I am keen to learn from best practice and to ensure that…08 Jun 2023HANSARDAccess for AllWe are currently working with Network Rail to assess over 300 stations nominated for Access for All, and we aim to make a determination later in 2023 for funding beyond 2024. I…08 Jun 2023HANSARDRail ServicesThe Secretary of State and the Chancellor regularly meet to discuss rail services, and between them they are delivering unprecedented investment in rail infrastructure and reform…08 Jun 2023HANSARDHS2: Monitoring and OversightThe ministerial merry-go-round goes round to a Merriman to listen to yet another long-winded effort from the hon. Gentleman, which eventually turns into a question. The reality is…08 Jun 2023HANSARDTopical QuestionsMy hon. Friend is right to point out that we currently view costs as sitting with the DFT and revenue as sitting with the Treasury. This can make it harder to increase services,…08 Jun 2023