Contributions
402 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDRailways Bill (First sitting)Q Forgive me; I am particularly interested in policy development over time with this question. Ben Plowden: I see.20 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (First sitting)A discontinuity or a change is that the draft Rail Reform Bill, published at the start of 2024, did not include a statutory freight target. I am interested in your views about the…20 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Second sitting)Q I will make it very quick. Mr Montgomery, I saw a document that rail partners published a few years ago called “Working together for a better railway”, which suggested that the…20 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Second sitting)Q As I did in this morning’s session, I draw attention to the fact that I am a member of Unite. I have a few short questions, primarily to Ms Simpson to start with. We heard from…20 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Second sitting)Q Returning to freight, I understand there is a problem at the moment with the ORR refusing longer-term applications, which presumably has a dampening effect on investment—at…20 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Second sitting)Q I turn to clause 64 on the charging scheme. Subsection (4) allows GBR to levy lower charges for the purpose of introducing new services, including for the carriage of goods. How…20 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Second sitting)I have one final question, if there is time.20 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Second sitting)Q But for inter-city, something similar to franchising? Steve Montgomery: Yes, you can put it out.20 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Second sitting)Q In Trainline’s written evidence—possibly to the Transport Committee rather than this one, or possibly to both—there is a reference to a view that there might be some…20 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Second sitting)Q So the concern is about potentially losing access to some data flows that currently exist. John Davies: Potentially. There are already moves within the industry to restrict…20 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Second sitting)Q Does that data flow come through Rail Settlement Plan at the moment? John Davies: It does not. It comes from the Rail Delivery Group, through its provision of RAAS, which is the…20 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Second sitting)Q Finally, I will continue a line of questioning from the Transport Committee. As you know, we had an exchange about executive remuneration; in the subsequent written evidence…20 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Second sitting)So that is privileged information. John Davies: It is certainly information that I do not have access to.20 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Second sitting)Q I must say, I think I must have been listening to a different set of evidence today than the shadow Minister, but there we are. I want to raise devolution, and specifically…20 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Second sitting)Q Picking up on a point that was made by witnesses on our devolution panel, the geography of, say, West Midlands Rail Executive does not overlap entirely with the geography of the…20 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (First sitting)I am also a member of Unite the union. Examination of Witnesses Jeremy Westlake, John Larkinson and Alex Hynes gave evidence .20 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (First sitting)Q Good morning. I first have a couple of questions to Mr Larkinson, but if other witnesses wish to come in, please do so. Mr Larkinson, in the ORR’s last annual report and…20 Jan 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (First sitting)Q Does the removal of interfaces through the Bill make it easier to progress that work? John Larkinson: We have to progress it now, so it is not conditional on the Bill in the…20 Jan 2026HANSARDSchool Support Staff Negotiating Body9. What recent progress her Department has made on establishing the School Support Staff Negotiating Body.19 Jan 2026HANSARDSchool Support Staff Negotiating BodyI draw attention to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests and my chairship of the GMB parliamentary group. The School Support Staff Negotiating Body,…19 Jan 2026