Avanti West Coast Contract Renewal Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department for Transport
Baroness Laing of Elderslie
Main Page: Baroness Laing of Elderslie (Conservative - Life peer)Department Debates - View all Baroness Laing of Elderslie's debates with the Department for Transport
Avanti West Coast Contract Renewal
Baroness Laing of Elderslie Excerpts(2 years, 1 month ago)
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Mrs Paulette Hamilton (Birmingham, Erdington) (Lab)
People in Birmingham are absolutely sick to the back teeth of Avanti West Coast—its cancelled trains and overcrowded carriages, the cuts to services and the lack of ticket availability. It is absolutely ridiculous that its contract was extended. If we are serious about levelling up and improving services, we need to have plans in place to end this chaos. So Minister, do you think that—
Madam Deputy Speaker (Dame Eleanor Laing)
Order. Not “Minister, do you think?” but, “Madam Deputy Speaker, does the Minister think?”
Mrs Paulette Hamilton
Madam Deputy Speaker, does the Minister think that rewarding Avanti with a contract extension was a mistake?
Madam Deputy Speaker (Dame Eleanor Laing)
Order. What is the hon. Gentleman’s question?
Mr Mahmood
The question is that the Minister should not have agreed this six-month extension, but should start working on it now, and by December—
Madam Deputy Speaker
Order. That is a statement. Does the hon. Gentleman have a question for the Minister?
Mr Mahmood
Will the Minister put in place a programme now so that we can take charge of Avanti trains by December?
Kevin Foster
We are already acting; there is daily engagement with Avanti on how it is progressing towards its improvement plan. As I have made clear, we are not just accepting assurances that it will make improvements in December, but looking for clear evidence that it is meeting the milestones to do just that. We are keen that there should be good relationships between employers and their employees in the sector. For all the problems that are well known about, rail sector management and employees worked closely together for the state funeral and the events following the death of Her late Majesty, with many going the extra mile and working into the early hours of the morning to ensure that people could attend the events and get home afterwards. Despite the idea that there are problems in particular parts, there was a real team effort for that event across the rail sector. We are engaging actively, and we look forward to seeing the improvements that the December plan will bring; if not, consequences will follow.
Madam Deputy Speaker (Dame Eleanor Laing)
And finally, from the east coast, Chi Onwurah.