Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Andrew Jones and Chris Green

Thursday 10th January 2019 Commons Chamber

[Andrew Jones]

My predecessor undertook to review the matter and remove some of the anomalies, and that work has already started, including in the fare review we saw earlier this year and the big piece of work reviewing how pay-as-you-go can be extended across the south-east. There has been a piecemeal approach where it has gone into Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and parts of Surrey, and we are taking a strategic approach to it and that will be happening in the first half of this year.

[Chris Green (Bolton West) (Con)]

Devolution to Greater Manchester offers enormous opportunities to simplify rail fares across the area. What has so far been achieved in that regard, and what opportunities have been taken to broaden out the ease of using different modes of public transport across Greater Manchester on a single ticket?

[Andrew Jones]

That is very much a question for the Williams review of devolution structures in our transport sector. The principle of my hon. Friend’s question, which is about making things more convenient for passengers through smart ticketing, is absolutely right. If we make things easier for passengers, they will be more likely to use the services. That is a key question for the Williams review, and I will make sure that my hon. Friend’s question is fed through to Mr Williams.

Bus Services Bill [ Lords ] (Second sitting)

Debate between Andrew Jones and Chris Green

Committee Debate: 2nd sitting : House of Commons
Tuesday 14th March 2017 Public Bill Committees

[Andrew Jones]

We have no intention of having authorities setting up bus companies and awarding themselves contracts. The purchaser-provider split is important. Authorities would have the capacity to intervene and directly commission services, but it would be for a short period of time only. They have the capacity to do that already. Our intention is not to have a municipal bus company do that. It would be for a short period of time and authorities would commission from the private sector.

[Chris Green (Bolton West) (Con)]

With people interested in franchising in Greater Manchester, there is an expectation that there will be a number of different providers of bus services. If any one provider failed, other providers could step in, whether they were already in Manchester or were other ones coming in. There would not be the need for Greater Manchester as an authority to be running the bus services.

[Andrew Jones]

My hon. Friend makes an interesting point. I anticipate from my conversations with Transport for Greater Manchester that it will be keen to pursue a franchising model. This will be its call, but I would anticipate not a one-size-fits-all model, but different operators providing services in different parts of his area. If one failed, others could come in. I have certainly been contacted by bus companies that see franchising tenders as a way to enter the UK marketplace. It could prove to be a spur to competition. We have powers in the Bill should there be failure, but those should involve private companies under commission, rather than municipal companies.

Amendment 10 relates to new clause 1. It concerns a cross-reference in the Bill and nothing more.

Public Transport (Greater Manchester)

Debate between Andrew Jones and Chris Green

Tuesday 21st July 2015 Commons Chamber

[Andrew Jones]

Metrolink will see investment of more than £240 million in 120 new trams by 2017: it will be brighter, more spacious and reliable. It is also hugely popular with the travelling public, with more than 31 million passenger journeys last year and we expect that figure to reach 40 million by the end of the decade.

Work is now under way to develop a further line to the Trafford centre—a key element of our devolution deal with the Greater Manchester combined authority, which gives it control of a reformed “earn back” deal for 30 years, giving it the certainty needed to invest in that and other schemes. Hon. Members have talked about growth in the network. I am all in favour of growth, but it will be determined locally and supported nationally.

It is not just Metrolink that is seeing investment rise and passenger numbers grow. That is also happening on the rail network. Successive Governments have failed to invest properly in our rail network, much of which dates back to the Victorian era. When the Government came to power, we faced a choice between putting a brake on growth and opportunity and cutting investment, or investing in public transport to drive growth. The Government chose to invest for the future.

[Chris Green (Bolton West) (Con)]

I congratulate the hon. Member for Stalybridge and Hyde (Jonathan Reynolds) on securing this vital debate.

The Farnworth tunnel in Bolton is being expanded to provide the capacity needed for the electrification of the rail line from Manchester, through Bolton and on to Preston. Does my hon. Friend agree that that shows our commitment to improving public transport in Greater Manchester?