Contributions
1,335 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDRailways Bill (Second sitting)Q So 30% of £40 billion is an increased cost as a result of this process. Rob Morris: Subjectively, yes. I think there will be more accurate figures around that, but it is an…20 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Second sitting)That is amazing. Rob Morris: One thing I would say to support the figures that Darren mentioned earlier is that we have had a particularly sluggish start to this control period,…20 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Second sitting)Q And your combined evidence—again, I am putting words into your mouth, but correct me—is that the Bill as drafted not only does not solve that problem of 30% of increased costs,…20 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Second sitting)Q So for the people in that space, yes. I am going to move to Siemens now. Historically, during the period of privatisation, rolling stock improvements have been inextricably…20 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Second sitting)Q At the moment, all of that is missing from the Bill, is it not? Rob Morris: Yes. Malcolm Brown: If I may, there is a natural life cycle. There is a beat rate to replacing,…20 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Second sitting)Q Where is the incentive to carry on and accelerate that process in this Bill? Where is the incentive for GBR? Malcolm Brown: I cannot comment. I presume it is going to be in one…20 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Second sitting)Q Thank you both, as ever, for coming to give oral evidence; it is very helpful. Mr Burnham, I am going to focus on you. It is difficult, isn’t it? You have a national rail…20 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Second sitting)Welcome to the Committee, Ms Brabin; I am sorry that we started before you managed to get in. Tracy Brabin: My apologies for being late.20 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Second sitting)Q Is there not a bit of a problem then, Mr Burnham? That is not what is in the Bill. At the moment, the Bill has a duty to consult, but it does not give the level of power to…20 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Second sitting)Q First, I apologise for taking so long during the Division. I am also a Whip, so I had to stay in the voting Lobby. It is something to get used to again when you come back to the…20 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Second sitting)Q It has become very command-and-control, hasn’t it? It is top-down, but you are saying that it should be more bottom-up. Andy Burnham: Yes, I think if you end up with a very…20 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Second sitting)My apologies.20 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Second sitting)Q It is a very good podcast; I listen to it a lot. Thank you very much for giving oral evidence. I now realise how you get a CBE in this country—you just have to be involved in…20 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Second sitting)Q You looked at it when you were with the SRA, back in the day, and you rejected it, presumably. What were the reasons for your rejection of that approach? Richard Bowker: The ’93…20 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Second sitting)Q We heard evidence earlier today from Maggie Simpson of the Rail Freight Group, and she was very concerned. She said that her members are very concerned, and that that has fed…20 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Second sitting)Q It is not really the directing mind I am focusing on; it is having a level playing field where, for the first time, we are going to have GBR being the directing mind but also an…20 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Second sitting)Q Right. Actually, I am slightly surprised, because this is an unusual process; it was a Tony Blair innovation that we got rid of. We did not think it had much purpose, but we…20 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Second sitting)Q The question I asked had absolutely nothing to do with ideology or the unification of track and train; it is a fundamental question of fairness. The Government have decided that…20 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Second sitting)Q Do the Government want private investment in the railway to continue? Keir Mather: Absolutely. It is fundamental that that investment continues, both on the— [ Interruption. ]…20 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Second sitting)Q They do not agree, do they? We have heard stark evidence today that the lack of a level playing field and the lack of advanced sight of where this legislation is going are…20 Jan 2026