Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between David Mowat and Lord McLoughlin

Thursday 28th January 2016 Commons Chamber

[David Mowat (Warrington South) (Con)]

1. What progress has been made on finalising the route for phase 2 of High Speed 2.

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

May I associate myself with your remarks, Mr Speaker, to both members of staff who are retiring and wish them well in their retirement? I am sure they would be welcome to come back and observe us in a different role, if they so wished.

In November last year I confirmed plans for accelerating the construction of phase 2 from the west midlands to Crewe so that it opens in 2027, six years earlier than planned. We are developing our plans for the rest of phase 2 and I intend to make decisions on the rest of the route by the autumn at the latest.

[David Mowat]

The Secretary of State will be aware that HS2 Ltd is currently evaluating a proposal to extend the line north of Manchester to Wigan. The cost of that is around £1 billion but as yet no incremental business or economic case has been produced. Will my right hon. Friend undertake that, before a decision is taken to extend the line north of Manchester, a business case will be laid before this House so that it can be reviewed?

Airports Capacity

Debate between David Mowat and Lord McLoughlin

Monday 14th December 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr McLoughlin]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right, in that whatever decision is finally taken—three options are still being discussed—we must get the best mitigation deals possible for the people affected. The three points he mentioned would certainly be important considerations in any decision, including if the decision should be taken for Heathrow. As I say, we are looking at three options.

[David Mowat (Warrington South) (Con)]

The Government seem to have one of two positions, and I would be interested to understand which one it is. Either we have accepted the Davies commission, subject to sorting out these environmental issues, and therefore we will go down that route if we are able, or we have now decided that there are three equal options and we are looking at all three from scratch. Which of the two routes are we going to go down?

[Mr McLoughlin]

We have accepted the Davies report on the need for capacity by 2030 and the three options, and it is those three options that we are looking at. I know the Davies commission supported one in particular, but the Government have to look at all three of the options available.

High Speed Rail (Preparation) Bill

Debate between David Mowat and Lord McLoughlin

Wednesday 26th June 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr McLoughlin]

Yes, indeed. That is one of the points that will become very apparent with the investment programmes we have over the coming years and that Network Rail will be carrying out. I can assure my hon. Friend that it is not a case of either/or; it is essential to invest in both areas.

[David Mowat (Warrington South) (Con)]

I would like to add a thought on the capacity question. Will the Secretary of State confirm that over the past 15 years passenger numbers have increased by an average of 5% a year and that the business case for HS2 assumes an increase of 1.6% a year, which is quite a conservative estimate?

[Mr McLoughlin]

Indeed, and I am grateful to my hon. Friend. Basically, 15 years ago there were about 750 million passenger journeys, and the latest estimate is for 1.5 billion passenger journeys, which is a massive shift that I would have thought my right hon. Friend the Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs Gillan) would welcome.

High Speed Rail

Debate between David Mowat and Lord McLoughlin

Monday 28th January 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr McLoughlin]

I think I tried to address that in an earlier answer. Of course I want to look at how the connection works, and it will be possible to run some services from Old Oak Common direct to the continent if there is demand for that. We will certainly look at the issue, and at how the whole London interconnection works.

[David Mowat (Warrington South) (Con)]

This project is very important to the wider economy in the north and north-west. Given that the revised business case remains considerably better than, for example, the Crossrail business case, will the Secretary of State do what he can to deliver this project before 2033?

[Mr McLoughlin]

I take that as a request to get a move on and get building a lot quicker. We will see what progress we can make.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between David Mowat and Lord McLoughlin

Thursday 17th January 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr McLoughlin]

The current fare regime and price increases are exactly the same as those under the last Government, and I do not remember him complaining about them then.

[David Mowat (Warrington South) (Con)]

T4. The new Mersey Gateway bridge will be tolled, with the risk of significant extra traffic through Warrington. The inspector at the planning inquiry stated the toll should be set no higher than that of the nearby Birkenhead tunnel. Will the Secretary of State confirm that in any evaluation of a change to the tunnel toll, he will also look at the situation of the bridge and of Warrington?

West Coast Rail Franchise

Debate between David Mowat and Lord McLoughlin

Thursday 6th December 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr McLoughlin]

I had hoped that I had given the hon. Lady adequate time to read the report, but it seems that I did not. First, I will deal with her points about Ministers. I refer her to page 44, where paragraph 4.118.2 says that

“inaccurate statements were made to the then Minister of State in writing as to the manner in which the CAC”—

the contract award committee—

“had approached the SLF sizing process in respect of First’s bid at its meeting on 27 June”.

If inaccurate information was given to Ministers, a fact stated in the report, Ministers would have acted in good faith on the information they were given.

May I also make the point that is made on page 63 of the report? It states that

“in implementing substantial cost savings required by the Government’s spending review in 2010, the DfT significantly reduced its headcount, the number of contractors used and its use of external consultants.”

Mr Laidlaw goes on to say:

“That is not to say however that, with appropriate escalation…of the issues, sufficient resources could not or would not have been found.”

There was no significant escalation of the issue, so I think there is truth in that.

A number of parts of the report refer to the Minister of State, the Secretary of State, the Prime Minister and the Under-Secretary of State for Transport, my hon. Friend the Member for Lewes (Norman Baker), asking questions and I am afraid that there was a damning failure by the Department that must be put right. The hon. Lady says that I seek somehow to blame three civil servants. I have never, in any of the statements I have made in the House or privately, mentioned the names of any civil servants. That is a matter for the permanent secretary. We now have the HR report and the permanent secretary is considering that and what will happen in the future. I would have hoped that the hon. Lady would welcome that.

The hon. Lady talks about the position with First Great Western and its contract to run its railway line. May I remind her who negotiated that contract? It was inherited by the Government and was not our contract at all. If she feels that there are any problems with it, then excuse me but it is not the responsibility of the Government. She asked a specific question about the second year of the contract with Virgin Trains and I will write to her with the answer.

[David Mowat (Warrington South) (Con)]

The Secretary of State read two quotations from the report, which both implied to me a severe organisational failure. Did Laidlaw have anything to say about the position of the permanent secretary in all this?

[Mr McLoughlin]

As I think I said to my hon. Friend when I made my first statement on this matter, there are obviously serious questions to answer. The present permanent secretary took his post in April, when many of the incidents to which we are referring had already taken place.

West Coast Main Line

Debate between David Mowat and Lord McLoughlin

Monday 15th October 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr McLoughlin]

I have read many figures, but I have not previously read that one. No doubt I am going to read a lot more in due course. I have already said that the estimated cost of refunding the franchises, which is the right thing to do, will be in the region of £40 million.

[David Mowat (Warrington South) (Con)]

This decision was one of the two or three major pieces of work done in the Department for Transport this year. If the permanent secretary will not hold himself accountable for this, what is he accountable for?

[Mr McLoughlin]

As I have said, I have announced two major inquiries. The permanent secretary took a decision to suspend certain members of staff. This is a suspension—not any prejudging—while these inquiries continue.