Lord Watts
Main Page: Lord Watts (Labour - Life peer)Department Debates - View all Lord Watts's debates with the Department for Transport
South Western Railway
Lord Watts Excerpts(1 day, 4 hours ago)
Lords ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Watch Debate Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)
The noble Baroness is referring to the London to Exeter service, which has not been very good in recent months, although the timetable will be reinstated from 29 November. That is because there was a serious problem with soil moisture deficit, as we have had the driest spring since 1836—and that was not due to public ownership. She also refers to the refreshment trolleys. She may know that I have asked the managing director to see what he can do to put back the refreshment trolleys, which were withdrawn some time under previous Governments—after Covid, I think.
Lord Watts (Lab)
My Lords, does the Minister agree that this is a failure not of nationalisation but of privatisation, and that we have had 13 years of wrecking the train service, like everything else? Is it not the case that we are clearing up the mess left by the previous Administration?
Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)
I thank my noble friend, and he is right.