Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Wendy Morton and Damian Collins

Thursday 17th March 2022 Commons Chamber

[Damian Collins (Folkestone and Hythe) (Con)]

9. What steps the Government are taking to encourage competition in the rail industry.

[The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Wendy Morton)]

As we create Great British Railways, we will work with the private sector to deliver for customers and taxpayers and restore competition through passenger services contracts as soon as possible.

[Damian Collins]

As international rail travel opens up post the covid pandemic, Eurostar still has an effective monopoly on services through Eurotunnel. What can the Government do to encourage other companies, in particular rail companies from Germany and Spain, that have expressed an interest in running alternative services through the tunnel?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Wendy Morton and Damian Collins

Tuesday 8th September 2020 Commons Chamber

[Wendy Morton]

The hon. Lady makes a very important point. She can rest assured that we will, at the very least, match that list.

[Damian Collins [V]]

As the Minister said, two BBC journalists have had their accreditation revoked in Belarus, and we have also seen entire shutdowns of the internet in that country to stop citizens both reporting on what is happening in their country and finding out information for themselves. Does she agree that this is completely intolerable and a violation of the rights of citizens of that country? What representations have we made to the Government of Belarus that they should stop these internet shutdowns and removals of accreditations for BBC journalists?

[Wendy Morton]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising this with me today. The Belarusian authorities have indeed blocked internet access for the entire country on several occasions. I have made clear through my statements at the OSCE and the UN that the democratic values and rights of the Belarusian people, including freedom of expression and media freedoms such as access to information, must be respected, and those who violate them must be held accountable.