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1,117 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDHS2: Purchased LandYes.23 Oct 2024HANSARDHS2: Purchased LandI thank the noble Baroness for her question. I am as aware as she is that level boarding is a really important consideration for many people, including those with disabilities.…23 Oct 2024HANSARDPassenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) BillMy Lords, I am grateful to all noble Lords who contributed to this discussion. First, I should say that the objective of this limited Bill before the Committee remains to unify…23 Oct 2024HANSARDPassenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) BillThe Bill before the House is specifically about the ownership of services currently operated under contract to the Secretary of State, Scottish Ministers or Welsh Ministers.…23 Oct 2024HANSARDPassenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) BillI thank the noble Baroness for her intervention. Of course, she is absolutely right. The fare system is far too complex, whether it is regulated fares or unregulated fares. One of…23 Oct 2024HANSARDHS2: Purchased LandI am aware of the report that the noble Lord refers to. It is an interesting report. We recognise the concerns about connectivity between Birmingham, Manchester and the north of…23 Oct 2024HANSARDHS2: Purchased LandMy Lords, I know there is a process to be followed. I will have to write to the noble Lord to explain that process in detail and on the allegation that people have been asked to…23 Oct 2024HANSARDHS2: Purchased LandI thank my noble friend for his supplementary question. As reported by the National Audit Office, by March 2024 £2.3 billion had been spent on phase 2 which, as he says, was…23 Oct 2024HANSARDHS2: Purchased LandMy Lords, the Government are thoroughly reviewing the position they have inherited before setting out more detailed plans in due course. This includes our position on HS2 phase 2…23 Oct 2024HANSARDPassenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) BillI thank my noble friend for his intervention. I do not disagree with him at all: those railway services are rather good. I did say that I was rather proud of the Overground, and…23 Oct 2024HANSARDPassenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) BillMy Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Hamilton of Epsom, for this amendment, which would require the Secretary of State and the Scottish and Welsh Ministers to consider each…23 Oct 2024HANSARDPassenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) BillFirst, I briefly note my intention to write to the noble Lord, Lord Teverson, on his points about public investment that I did not manage to address on Monday. I also intend to…23 Oct 2024HANSARDPassenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) BillI thank my noble friend Lord Liddle for that intervention. All I can say at this point is that I would hope the rail network enhancement programme is published more frequently,…21 Oct 2024HANSARDPassenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) BillIt varies in accordance with the particular train company. Some of them are coming to a natural conclusion, others have break clauses that enable termination and, in a limited…21 Oct 2024HANSARDPassenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) BillI think in due course we will have to come back in the substantive Bill with a proposition on how those decisions are made, who makes them, and for what period of time the plan is…21 Oct 2024HANSARDPassenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) BillI apologise to the Committee; it is my novice inexperience. I thank the noble Lord for that intervention. I turn to Amendment 40 in the names of the noble Baronesses, Lady Pidgeon…21 Oct 2024HANSARDPassenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) BillOn my noble friend Lord Liddle’s comment, I am sure the Secretary of State would like to make her own decision, but I am pretty confident that the work done in the department to…21 Oct 2024HANSARDPassenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) BillThe answer is that it is the Government’s policy to take train operations into public ownership. The words the noble Lord mentions in Clause 2 just emphasise that intention.21 Oct 2024HANSARDPassenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) BillIn answer to my noble friend, and in recognition of some of what I have done in the past, it is sometimes a surprise when you read the performance requirements for contracts that…21 Oct 2024HANSARDPassenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) BillThe answer to the noble Lord is: not yet. He will recognise that those costs materialise only when the franchise transfers, so the department will never have had that total number…21 Oct 2024