West Coast Rail Franchise

Debate between Gerald Kaufman and Lord McLoughlin

Thursday 6th December 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr McLoughlin]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend, particularly for the way in which he has campaigned for this service. I know that he will be pleased by the intention I have announced today. As I have said, it is an intention and is not absolutely tied down as there are a few processes to go through. Given the way in which he has shown leadership, I very much hope that he gets that message across to the stakeholders involved so that we can make progress.

[Sir Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton) (Lab)]

Is it not clear that the right hon. Gentleman is doing his very best to clear up an appalling mess that he inherited from his predecessor? Although of course matters of personnel in his Department are, as he says, the responsibility of the permanent secretary, the overall administration was the responsibility of his predecessor and it is unacceptable that she complacently remains a member of the Government having left this expensive mess. I am travelling up to my home in Manchester this afternoon. What am I to say to the excellent train crew who will be looking after me and all the other passengers about the security of their jobs, in which they have the right to be confident and which has been left in total dubiety by what happened before the Secretary of State took over?

[Mr McLoughlin]

I think I am grateful for the conservative way in which the right hon. Gentleman made his point. What he can say to the crew on the west coast main line is that both this Government and, in fairness, the previous Government have invested huge amounts of public money in that line—some £9 billion. I am glad to be able to say today that we have completed the delivery of the 106 new Pendolino carriages to show our support for that line. I hope that my announcement today and the fact that I have not done what I initially said I would do, which was a short-term contract, then a medium-term contract, gives train crew security and that they can work with their company for the future franchise.

West Coast Main Line

Debate between Gerald Kaufman and Lord McLoughlin

Monday 29th October 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr McLoughlin]

I can assure my hon. Friend that I am very keen to get on with franchising, but he would expect me to wait for the recommendations of the Brown report and the Government to respond to it in a measured and appropriate way. I can give him the assurance he seeks: I am very keen to get on with franchising.

[Sir Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton) (Lab)]

I join those Members who have complimented the right hon. Gentleman on his openness in coming to the House and his readiness to come here frequently. Is he aware that, as is shown in the book “How to be a Minister”, the incompetence, errors and blunders he listed in his statement should end up in the lap of his predecessor and that the Government should admit that? Will he also accept that those of us who travel twice a week on the west coast main line have seen the cloud that has hung over the train crews during this period lifted? It is up to him to ensure that the cloud does not return.

[Mr McLoughlin]

I am not sure who wrote “How to be a Minister”, but the right hon. Gentleman might like to inform me privately afterwards. I refer him to Sam Laidlaw’s letter, which I mentioned earlier. The fact is that this is an interim report and nowhere does it criticise Ministers.

West Coast Main Line

Debate between Gerald Kaufman and Lord McLoughlin

Monday 15th October 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr McLoughlin]

I well understand my hon. Friend’s wish to procure better services for his constituents, and I know that a number of other Members will be pushing me for the same thing. I will of course consider his suggestions and see whether we can adopt some of them.

[Sir Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton) (Lab)]

Now that the right hon. Gentleman has rightly put an end to the shambles that he inherited, will he bear in mind the watchword “If you are in a hole, stop digging”? Rather than engaging in an interim process that prolongs uncertainty, will he be fair to the marvellous train crews of Virgin Trains, who give extraordinarily good service, and tell them that their future is assured? Will he simply award the franchise to Virgin, which has carried it out brilliantly?

[Mr McLoughlin]

I am very pleased to hear the right hon. Gentleman give such a strong endorsement of the service that he already receives. However, what we are trying to do with franchising is improve that service, not just for his constituents in Manchester but throughout the line, and I do not think that it would be appropriate—in fact, it would not be possible—for me to do as he wishes. I think that what I have set out today is the best course for the next three years on that particular line.