Maria Eagle
Main Page: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)Department Debates - View all Maria Eagle's debates with the Department for Transport
(12 years ago)
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Maria Eagle (Garston and Halewood) (Lab)
Does the Minister understand that many people who are out of work do not have easy access to the internet and rely on the help and advice of staff to ensure they get the cheapest fare, which is not always clearly advertised or available at ticket machines? Can the Minister confirm whether it is Ministers or train companies who are responsible for the decision to close many of these vital ticket offices?
Mrs Villiers
The hon. Lady should give me an example of these closures, because I have to say they are not happening. No decisions have been made on possible changes to the way that ticket offices are regulated and we are going to be looking at this issue as part of our efforts to drive efficiency in the railways, but before any decisions are taken we will think very carefully about the impact on all rail users, including the disabled, those who are jobless and those with visual impairments. This is a very important issue to get right and part of the way we will deal with it is by expanding the smart ticketing and alternative ticket-buying opportunities we have discussed this morning.
Maria Eagle
That is an interesting answer. The Minister seems to be out of touch with what is happening in her own Department. I have here a leaked e-mail, dated just two weeks ago, from the civil servant responsible for the rail fares and ticketing review. It says that
“the Minister has already decided to approve some ticket office closures (it’s just not been announced yet…)…there will be more of those in future.”
What is worse, she then admits that Ministers plan to pin the blame for the closures on the train companies, saying,
“your way of slipping in there that the initiative comes from TOCs not us is very neat”.
Will the Minister now own up and admit that she has already given the green light to these closures, which passengers will find not “very neat” but very inconvenient and very expensive?
Mrs Villiers
The shadow Secretary of State refers to the proposal from London Midland, which is being considered but on which no final decision has been made.