Contributions
952 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDTrain Operating Company ContractsMy Lords, train operators are required to work to an annual business plan agreed with the department, allowing more agility for both parties to respond to change as it arises…25 Mar 2024HANSARDTrain Operating Company ContractsI accept what the noble Baroness says. We have discussed this outside the Chamber, and it is something that the Government are working hard to improve.25 Mar 2024HANSARDTrain Operating Company ContractsMy Lords, in 2021, the Government began introducing national rail contracts, which have now replaced all the emergency contracts signed during the pandemic. These are flexible…25 Mar 2024HANSARDTrain Operating Company ContractsMy noble friend is absolutely right, and I quite agree with him. It is very annoying; I suffer from it myself when I travel on GWR. I really do not understand, technically, why we…25 Mar 2024HANSARDTrain Operating Company ContractsI take the noble Lord’s point. The Secretary of State visited Japan recently and looked closely at its operating systems. Let us hope that we see an improvement to the extent that…25 Mar 2024HANSARDTrain Operating Company ContractsAs the noble Lord knows, the rail reform Bill is being scrutinised by the Transport Committee. That was an agreement by the usual channels. From May 2021, national rail contracts…25 Mar 2024HANSARDTrain Operating Company ContractsI have to declare that I am a regular traveller on Great Western Railway services and appreciate much of what the noble Baroness says. Cancellations, especially those made close…25 Mar 2024HANSARDAvanti TrainsI absolutely agree with the right reverend Prelate. I travel from Wales on the GWR system. Yesterday, we were an hour late arriving at Paddington. The staff are very good, and…27 Feb 2024HANSARDAvanti TrainsMy Lords, officials regularly meet Avanti to discuss its performance against service quality regime targets and how it will make improvements for passengers and to the customer…27 Feb 2024HANSARDAvanti TrainsI must confess that I am not aware of that, but it is something that I shall take back to the department and look into.27 Feb 2024HANSARDAvanti TrainsAs I referred to in my opening response, no payments have been made to Avanti under the service quality regime thus far. The department considers the comments from the leak to be…27 Feb 2024HANSARDAvanti TrainsThe decision to award the contract to First Trenitalia was contingent on the operator continuing to win back the confidence of passengers, but as with other operators, it is a…27 Feb 2024HANSARDAvanti TrainsI thank the noble Lord for that question. We are committed to reforming the railways, and we are getting on with delivering improvements for passengers, freight customers and the…27 Feb 2024HANSARDAvanti TrainsI will certainly have a look at that.27 Feb 2024HANSARDAvanti TrainsThe noble Lord asks about the Govia Thameslink Railway service. The new service quality regime was introduced in 2023, and the targets set for that period were drawn from the best…27 Feb 2024HANSARDAvanti TrainsThe noble Baroness asks several questions there, and I would answer by saying that the targets are proportionate to the level of investment agreed with the business plan for any…27 Feb 2024HANSARDAvanti TrainsThat really is a matter for the operator; it is not for government to decide that particular issue.27 Feb 2024HANSARDAvanti TrainsThe Government are very conscious that it is taxpayers’ money; they keep that in mind. As to publishing contracts, again, that is something that I would have to take back to the…27 Feb 2024HANSARDPavement ParkingMy Lords, the Department for Transport received over 15,000 responses to its consultation on this matter. The Government want to take the right step for communities and ensure…21 Feb 2024HANSARDPavement ParkingI cannot answer for my predecessor. All I can say is that I am very aware of the issue and undertake to move as quickly as I can.21 Feb 2024