Contributions
547 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD World Biosphere DayI am grateful to my hon. Friend for that clarification—island park designation, indeed—and I look forward to meeting him to discuss that in more detail. This is an…03 Nov 2022HANSARD World Biosphere DayMr Deputy Speaker, I know, because we had a little chat earlier, that you share my enthusiasm for this debate, and I cannot imagine a better way to spend the end of the…03 Nov 2022HANSARDSewage DischargesIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship for the first time in my position in DEFRA, Ms Elliott. I thank all colleagues for showing such interest in and passion about a…12 Oct 2022HANSARDSewage DischargesMy right hon. Friend raises an excellent point. Reforms are taking place in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to look at the plethora of opportunities for…12 Oct 2022HANSARDSewage DischargesI am happy to pick that up separately. I have not got time to go into the detail now, but I would be delighted to have a meeting with the hon. Member to go into that in the…12 Oct 2022HANSARDSewage DischargesThere was also reference to privatisation. There has been over £30 billion of investment in the environment by the water industry since privatisation. The improvements in sewage…12 Oct 2022HANSARDAvanti West CoastI certainly have not used inflammatory language. My husband is a member of the GMB union and I believe that my salary contributes every month to its upkeep. On the west coast main…07 Sept 2022HANSARDAvanti West CoastAbsolutely. I, too, live in a rural area and recognise how important a safe, reliable and affordable rail service is for passengers, especially when they do not have other…07 Sept 2022HANSARDAvanti West CoastWe are considering all options, and all options remain on the table. Withdrawing Avanti’s contract is one of those options, but we must bear in mind all the implications of that.…07 Sept 2022HANSARDAvanti West CoastI agree with my hon. Friend that many train operators are providing a much better service than Avanti, and I am grateful that that is the case. We will learn from them and we will…07 Sept 2022HANSARDAvanti West CoastI reiterate the point that the decision on those awards is independent from Government, and was based on last year’s performance data.07 Sept 2022HANSARDAvanti West CoastAny performance fees that are being referred to relate to last year’s service, not this one.07 Sept 2022HANSARDAvanti West CoastMy hon. Friend makes a brilliant point. I will ensure that the new Secretary of State hears that suggestion and that we work with Avanti to be able to provide those advance…07 Sept 2022HANSARDAvanti West CoastI spoke with a member of Andy Burnham’s office yesterday at the Women in Transport event, along with Avanti and the West Coast Partnership members that were there. I have every…07 Sept 2022HANSARDAvanti West CoastAvanti’s decision to provide a reduced timetable was certainly part of the solution, although not a satisfactory one—far from it. I have said before that one train service an hour…07 Sept 2022HANSARDAvanti West CoastAll options remain on the table, and the decision will take place on 16 October. I think I have already set out the acute challenges that Avanti faces and I make the point again…07 Sept 2022HANSARDAvanti West CoastI fear I am repeating myself. I have said consistently that those conversations, that probing and that challenge are happening right now across the Department and a decision will…07 Sept 2022HANSARDAvanti West CoastThe reality is that we, the state, are currently paying for the train service, because it is unsustainable for train operators to pay for it themselves. I will take deep interest…07 Sept 2022HANSARDAvanti West CoastMy right hon. Friend is absolutely correct: the service to north Wales is unacceptable. That is why the decision that will be taken on 16 October will bear in mind how swiftly we…07 Sept 2022HANSARDAvanti West CoastWhile it is my job to answer the questions, my question to the hon. Gentleman would be: “Where are the drivers going to come from?” That is the challenge here. However we cut this…07 Sept 2022