Railways: Franchises

Lord Davies of Oldham Excerpts

Tuesday 9th October 2012 Lords Chamber

[Earl Attlee]

My Lords, it is a little early for me to answer in that much detail, but the process for the western region is being paused. However, the difficulty, of course, is with the west coast main line franchise.

[Lord Davies of Oldham]

My Lords, the House should congratulate the noble Earl on being one of two junior Ministers in the department who have survived. Is it not the case that the other Ministers who presided over this debacle scuttled just before the news broke, thereby denying the absolutely fundamental principle of parliamentary democracy that the buck stops with Ministers?

[Earl Attlee]

My Lords, that was a good try. We will have to see what the reports come out with.