High Speed 2

Debate between Theresa Villiers and Mike Weir

Tuesday 23rd November 2010 Westminster Hall

[Mrs Villiers]

It is always the case that, when efforts are made to construct these major transport projects, there are advantages to using existing transport corridors. However, sometimes using those existing corridors is simply not possible. Nevertheless, the Secretary of State for Transport asked High Speed 2 to look again at the route that it had proposed and at the environmental impact of that route. In a very short time, we will publish a package for consultation that will take on board a number of the concerns that have already been raised with the Government and with HS 2, to mitigate the environmental impact of the project.

I want to go back to the points that were made about using upgrades to the conventional rail network to relieve the capacity problem. It is simply not possible to relieve the capacity problem without a new line. Without delivering a further significant uplift in rail capacity, some of our key transport corridors will become even more overcrowded in the years to come. I strongly believe that high-speed rail is the best way to deliver that new capacity, not least because it would free up space on existing networks for more commuter, regional and freight services. My hon. Friend the Member for Rugby (Mark Pawsey) mentioned that issue and I think that there is potential for his constituents to benefit from the extra space on the west coast main line that will be released by high-speed rail. Dramatically improving connectivity between a number of our most important cities has the potential to change the economic geography of the country.

As for the environmental impact, I recognise that our plans for high-speed rail are already having an impact on some communities, even in advance of the final decisions on the project. That is why we have launched an exceptional hardship scheme, to assist those with an urgent need to sell their properties and move home.

The Secretary of State has made it clear that, as and when any final route is chosen, we will put measures in place to address blight, and those measures will go well beyond the requirements of statute. I say that in response to a number of points that were made about the exceptional hardship scheme. My hon. Friend the Member for North Warwickshire had some concerns about how the scheme was working. I was not aware of those difficulties, so if he wants to write to me about the specific issues I will be happy to look into them.

Earlier this year, the Secretary of State visited the line of route that has been recommended by HS 2 Ltd. He acknowledges the vital importance of designing a new high-speed rail line in a way that will reduce local impact where possible and that will take on board the types of points that we have heard this morning.

We fully recognise the need to balance the benefits of the high-speed rail project with the local impact on landscape and communities. In the summer, the Secretary of State instructed HS 2 to consider how best to improve its recommended route 3 to reduce any negative social and environmental impacts. An initial report has already been published that identifies a number of ways to reduce problems on the northern part of HS 2’s preferred route. That work is continuing in relation to a number of other areas of sensitivity—

[Mr Mike Weir (in the Chair)]

Order. I am afraid that we have run out of time for this debate. We now move on to the next debate.

Railway Industry

Debate between Theresa Villiers and Mike Weir

Tuesday 19th October 2010 Westminster Hall

[Mr Weir]

The hon. Lady makes a good point. Whether electrification is greener than its alternative depends on how the electricity is generated, but that is an associated issue. However, she is right that the faster train journeys can be made, the more likely it is that people will use the train rather than travel by air. That is my point. Flying to London from Manchester or Birmingham no longer makes sense, but it does make sense to travel from Aberdeen by air unless something is done to speed up the train line. I appreciate that that is not easy to do, but the Government must look at the issue seriously.

My other point is about the high-speed rail network. The Government have announced their proposal to go with the Y route, which would run up the centre of England to the north-east and the west coast. It will speed up journey times and, if I understand it correctly, link up with the east coast line and provide a slightly faster journey time at least as far as Edinburgh. As it stands, however, although the proposal will considerably speed up rail travel to the north of England, it does not address the central problem of taking the line further north into Scotland. If the Government are serious about the issue, we must look at an extension of the line to ensure faster travel times from Scotland and encourage people away from the longer domestic flight routes. Unless we do that—and the same argument goes for the east coast—we will not get the green benefits that we hope for. As it stands, if I were to use the high-speed line to get home, I would probably have to change train twice to get to Montrose, and that will not significantly reduce the journey time.

[Mrs Villiers]

The hon. Gentleman may recall from the coalition’s programme for government that we want a genuinely national network. Experience tells us that that must be delivered in phases as it takes some time. The ultimate goal, of course, is to take high-speed rail to Scotland. It would be interesting to hear whether the Scottish Government are willing to devote resources to that programme in the future. I have discussed the issue with them, and I hope that in the future they will consider whether they can devote some of their resources to aiding such a project.

[Mr Weir]

I am sure that the Scottish Government will do that. However, there is not much point in building a high-speed line if it does not link up with the rest of the network. At the moment, the high-speed line will run nowhere near Scotland. I understand that Network Rail had a proposal that would have taken the line into central Scotland. That would have made more sense, it would have linked central Scotland with the main high-speed network running south, and it would have provided the basis for an extension of the network further north. At the moment, as the Minister knows, the high-speed network comes nowhere near Scotland, and it will be many years before it gets as far as Edinburgh. The Government seem to take a London-centric view of the matter. If we were to tip things the other way so that the line ran south, the speed of journeys would increase faster and the green objectives of the Government and the Scottish Government would be met.

The Scottish Government have invested a lot in the railway in Scotland. I accept that that is their responsibility and that some of the work must be done in Scotland—there is no argument about that. For example, the Scottish Government opened a new station at Laurencekirk on the east coast line, although strangely enough the direct mainline services will not stop there, so people still have to get a train to another station to get on those direct services. ScotRail runs a good service to Edinburgh and Glasgow, but again, people have to change trains to get on to the direct line to travel further south. People going on business trips look for a direct service. New lines have been opened from Stirling and Alloa; there is a new line from the border and considerable improvements along the Paisley corridor. All those things have improved rail travel in Scotland, but we still need links to the lines that will take us to continental Europe through the Eurostar network. To do that, unfortunately we need to rely on the Government in this place taking action on the east coast line and the high-speed line.

My main point is to ask the Minister about the rolling stock for the east coast line, which is the responsibility of her Department. As the hon. Members for Newton Abbot (Anne Marie Morris) and for Hayes and Harlington (John McDonnell) pointed out, the new trains are vital to show that the Government are serious about investment in our railways and in the important economic asset of the east coast line. I appreciate that the comprehensive spending review is tomorrow, but I urge the Minister to ensure that the rolling stock is purchased and that a clear signal is given about the future of the line.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mrs Villiers]

Obviously, the UK Government are bound by European procurement law to procure public contracts in a fair and objective way. In the context of rail franchises, it sets a top limit of 22 and a half years for contracts that involve investment. The reference to European procurement law was included in the consultation document because it governs the maximum that we can deliver in terms of rail franchises. Throughout the process of negotiating franchises, however, we will look to secure the best deal possible for the taxpayer, and we will ensure that we continue to protect the passenger interest. Train operators that do not comply with the obligations we impose on them will face sanctions, which, in extreme cases, could include removing the franchise.

In the few minutes that I have available, I want to talk a little about the inter-city express programme in response to the hon. Member for Angus (Mr Weir). I can assure him that we have no plans to scrap through services to destinations such as Aberdeen and Inverness, which he mentioned. As he said, the report produced by Sir Andrew Foster referred to one of the alternative strategies for the IEP, which involved ending those through services. As I said, however, we have no plans to do that. We recognise the economic value of such services, and we have certainly received strong representations from the Scottish Government and Scottish colleagues about the importance of retaining them.

[Mr Weir]

Will the Minister give way?

[Mrs Villiers]

I am sorry, but I have only two or three minutes, and I want to respond to an awful lot of points.

The hon. Gentleman and others talked about the electrification of the railways. We included our support for electrification in our programme for government and we recognise its benefits. It will support our sustainability objectives and improve services for passengers. It will become more and more of a greener option as we decarbonise the electricity-generating network. The pace at which we can deliver electrification will obviously depend on affordability and the priority of tackling the deficit. Much will depend on the comprehensive spending review announcement tomorrow. Of course, these decisions are also linked with the work on the high-level output specification rolling stock programme, Thameslink and the future of the IEP. An announcement will be made on those in due course.

Lastly, in the brief time that I have, I want to reiterate the Government’s support for high-speed rail, which is a vital upgrade for our transport network. We recently announced our support for a Y-shaped network, with a line to Manchester and trains running on from there to the west coast main line and Scotland, and another line splitting off at Birmingham and going through the east midlands and South Yorkshire to Leeds, with trains, again, running on to the existing network and destinations further north. We will consult on that shortly. We will also have regard to the communities affected by the line’s local impact before taking final decisions on whether to go ahead and what route to take. We appreciate that realistically these lines can be delivered only in phases, but our ultimate goal is to deliver the national network, for which I am sure there will be cross-party support.

Much has been achieved since privatisation, but we need a fresh focus on reducing costs in the railways that we already have. We need a drive to deliver high-speed rail because of the huge benefits that it can provide. The coalition is determined to meet both those challenges, and I welcome the representations that I have received on them today.