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939 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Future of Rail ManufacturingI have not got time, so I am sorry, I will not give way. I am pleased to report my right hon. Friend the Transport Secretary had a constructive meeting last week with Alstom’s…23 Apr 2024HANSARD Future of Rail ManufacturingLook, I travel by train all the time, not just on my own line, which I believe has the oldest train stock, but across the country. I spend every single week travelling by train…23 Apr 2024HANSARD Future of Rail ManufacturingWith pleasure, Sir Gary. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship. I start by thanking my good friend, the hon. Member for Easington (Grahame Morris), for securing this…23 Apr 2024HANSARD Midge Hall Railway StationI congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for South Ribble (Katherine Fletcher) on securing this debate on the merits of reopening Midge Hall railway station and providing direct…17 Apr 2024HANSARDRail Manufacturing: Job LossesI know that my hon. Friend, who is another excellent member of the Transport Committee, has written to the Secretary of State, and we are lining up a meeting to discuss Chiltern’s…16 Apr 2024HANSARDRail Manufacturing: Job LossesThat is the same Huddersfield that I visited with the team from the trans-Pennine route upgrade. We are investing between £9 billion and £11.5 billion in upgrading that route,…16 Apr 2024HANSARDRail Manufacturing: Job LossesThe hon. Member’s argument is slightly punctured by the fact that Hitachi built its plant after the Conservative Government came to power, because it understands that we support…16 Apr 2024HANSARDRail Manufacturing: Job LossesI thank my hon. Friend because—as he puts it himself, but he is being too modest—he is working with us constantly to ensure that Hitachi’s concerns are addressed. We have met…16 Apr 2024HANSARDRail Manufacturing: Job LossesAs I have already stated, I have met the Alstom unions myself—I am always very happy to meet the unions, as indeed is necessary. At the moment, however, our work is with Derby…16 Apr 2024HANSARDRail Manufacturing: Job LossesIt is important to note that Hitachi is not currently consulting on any changes in the workforce, but it is of course concerned and it speaks to hon. Members in this place to put…16 Apr 2024HANSARDRail Manufacturing: Job LossesA lot of the finance I talked about and the orders that have been brought forward, which is why we have a relatively young fleet, are the result of train operators being able to…16 Apr 2024HANSARDRail Manufacturing: Job LossesYes, indeed. The team at Hitachi as well as Alstom will of course be working on the HS2 tender for 54 trains that will be coming their way. I am very keen to meet them, and I met…16 Apr 2024HANSARDRail Manufacturing: Job LossesThe answer is over the course of this year and next year for all of the train manufacturers that the hon. Lady has mentioned. I well remember the visit that both she and I made to…16 Apr 2024HANSARDRail Manufacturing: Job LossesI thank the hon. Member, who always puts his points with great kindness and consideration—as a result, he makes better points than some that get chucked around here. I can assure…16 Apr 2024HANSARDRail Manufacturing: Job LossesI can give my hon. Friend that assurance. He is absolutely right; this is a complex matter, and it is important that we get it right. We are working with Alstom, with the council,…16 Apr 2024HANSARDRail Manufacturing: Job LossesThat is correct—good. I am glad I have got that on the record. My hon. Friend the Member for Darlington (Peter Gibson) is absolutely right. This matter is complex and challenging,…16 Apr 2024HANSARDRail Manufacturing: Job LossesThanks to the UK taxpayer, the Government have invested over £100 billion in the railways, and a lot of that investment has gone through to rolling stock. As I have mentioned, the…16 Apr 2024HANSARDRail Manufacturing: Job LossesI do not accept that. When I met the train manufacturers earlier this year, they said they wanted longer-term certainty, and the reason for setting out what is coming up next is…16 Apr 2024HANSARDRail Manufacturing: Job LossesAs my hon. Friend has described, this is a careful balance. I reiterate that if we were to award contracts outside of the usual process, other workforces would also be impacted,…16 Apr 2024HANSARDRail Manufacturing: Job LossesMy hon. Friend is absolutely right. We are talking not just about the jobs at the manufacturing plant in Derby, but about all the jobs throughout the supply chain. I work really…16 Apr 2024