High-speed Rail

Debate between Baroness Chapman of Darlington and Lord McLoughlin

Monday 24th March 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr McLoughlin]

Surprisingly, my hon. Friend is the first Member today to mention locating the skills academy in his region. That is probably because other Members have been asking questions on the details and might have felt that they would be testing your patience, Mr Speaker, if they also made a bid for the academy. The skills academy is essential to getting the message across to young people that engineering and the railways offer good opportunities for them in the long term.

[Jenny Chapman (Darlington) (Lab)]

My constituency of Darlington is the indisputable birthplace of the railways—I do not think there are any Members for Stockton present—and my constituents currently enjoy a very good service to London. They are delighted that people in Leeds will soon be able to enjoy a good service too, but are concerned that that must not be at the expense of investment in the east coast main line. Will the Secretary of State commit to that not being the case?

[Mr McLoughlin]

Indeed I will. We are committed to providing brand new rolling stock for the east coast main line: one of the biggest orders placed for the railways has been signed off by the Government. I am delighted we have done that.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Baroness Chapman of Darlington and Lord McLoughlin

Thursday 27th June 2013 Commons Chamber

[Jenny Chapman (Darlington) (Lab)]

6. What his policy is on the privatisation of east coast main line services; and if he will make a statement.

[The Secretary of State for Transport (Mr Patrick McLoughlin)]

This Government’s programme for rail franchising was announced on 26 March. The comprehensive schedule included the intention to return the inter-city east coast franchise to the private sector by February 2015, and that remains our policy.

[Jenny Chapman]

The east coast main line will have returned £800 million to the Exchequer by the end of this financial year. Are not the Government taking us from a position in which the line subsidises taxpayers to one in which taxpayers, through their fares, will subsidise shareholders?

[Mr McLoughlin]

I am guided by the words of the last Labour Transport Secretary, who said:

“I do not believe that it would be in the public interest for us to have a nationalised train operating company indefinitely…because of our recent experience of rail franchising”.—[Official Report, House of Lords, 1 July 2009; Vol. 712, c. 232.]

He said that when he held the job that I hold now, and I think he was right.