Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Wales Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Gerald Jones Excerpts
Wednesday 19th October 2022

(2 years, 2 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lindsay Hoyle Portrait Mr Speaker
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I call the shadow Minister, Gerald Jones.

Gerald Jones Portrait Gerald Jones (Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney) (Lab)
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It seems that rewarding failure is this Government’s guiding principle, and even Conservative Members agree. Avanti West Coast is the worst performing operator on the rail network, but Ministers spent an eye-watering £4 million of taxpayers’ money on bonuses to company executives for

“customer experience and acting as a good operator.”

Does the Minister agree that this is simply not good enough for the businesses and people of north Wales?

David T C Davies Portrait David T. C. Davies
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I have already said that I accept many concerns have been raised about Avanti’s performance, but it all goes to show why it is important to modernise the rail network across the whole of Wales. That is exactly what the UK Government are doing at the moment.