Contributions
1,335 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDRailways Bill (Third sitting)I do not wish to interrupt the hon. Member’s flow, but there is a wider point there. The hon. Member is right to mention that the Government have frozen fares, but they have not…22 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Fourth sitting)I listened carefully to the Minister’s explanation as to why, in his view, amendment 232 should be withdrawn. He said that GBR will agree to co-operation with mayoral combined…22 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Third sitting)It is very nice to have you in the Chair, Mrs Hobhouse. I think this a conversation among Labour Members, and I do not want to get in the way of a private dispute. I might just…22 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Fourth sitting)I am grateful to the Minister for his explanation, and to the hon. Member for Bexleyheath and Crayford for giving his lived experience of the TfL area. I am partially convinced. I…22 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Fourth sitting)I beg to move amendment 241, in clause 3, page 2, line 17, after “including,” insert “acting in a fair and non-discriminatory manner”. This amendment would require equal treatment…22 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Fourth sitting)Correct me if I am wrong, but my recollection of Sir Andrew Haines’s oral evidence is that he gave an example of the experience not just on continental Europe, but in Scotland,…22 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Third sitting)I have great respect for the Minister and I hear with interest what he said, but I am not convinced that the sector will receive sufficient reassurance from that, so I intend to…22 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Third sitting)Thank you. We have this generational change in the organisation of the railways; the Government, with their majority, have taken a political decision to nationalise the sector. We…22 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Third sitting)I do. I apologise to the Committee; I erroneously thought that we were dealing with amendment 257 in isolation. There is huge interest in this Bill, which will directly affect…22 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Fourth sitting)It is always a pleasure to hear the Minister explain the Government’s positions, but I remain unconvinced in relation to amendment 241, which I believe is the only one that can be…22 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Fourth sitting)To clarify, that figure is about not just the private sector, but rail services in Scotland and Wales not being part of GBR. It is the non-GBR parts of the greater rail world:…22 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Fourth sitting)Shadow Minister.22 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Fourth sitting)I am very supportive of the intent behind this new clause. Where the Government have taken the political decision to put all their eggs in the nationalisation basket, it becomes…22 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Fourth sitting)Clause 6 deals with co-operation between GBR and Transport for London. The clause seems to exist in direct juxtaposition to clause 5, and, interestingly, to the general spirit of…22 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Fourth sitting)Yes, I do, but then democracy is really messy, isn’t it? If we listen to passengers and our constituents, we hear all sorts of desires that may not be sufficiently persuasive to…22 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Fourth sitting)Not only.22 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Fourth sitting)My hon. Friend makes a very interesting point. One of the stand-out moments from Tuesday’s oral evidence was that given by the mayors, Andy Burnham and Tracy Brabin. What it…22 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Fourth sitting)I was going to say 1.5%, but maybe it is 2%. Let us call it approximately 2%; I leave rail freight in a separate category. But open access operators have a disproportionate impact…22 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Fourth sitting)Thank you very much, Sir Alec. We are making progress—it may not feel like it, but we are. Courage! We’re getting there. Clause 5 deals with co-operation with relevant local…22 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Third sitting)In which case, I will speak first to amendment 2, as that is first in the grouping, and then proceed to the others. Amendment 2 would make explicit the duty of Great British…22 Jan 2026