Oral Answers to Questions

Clive Efford Excerpts

Thursday 24th May 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call Clive Efford.

[Clive Efford (Eltham) (Lab)]

rose—

[Mr Speaker]

The hon. Gentleman looks a tad befuddled.

[Clive Efford]

I was expecting Questions 17 and 18, Mr Speaker.

[Mr Speaker]

The answer—I always like to provide information to satisfy colleagues—is that Question 17 was withdrawn and the person who had Question 18 came in on an earlier question.

[Clive Efford]

Thank you for enlightening me, Mr Speaker.

[Mr Speaker]

It is very good of the hon. Gentleman to drop in on us; we are deeply obliged to him.

[Clive Efford (Eltham) (Lab)]

19. What assessment he has made of the potential effect on passenger safety of the terms of the new south-eastern rail franchise which require some travellers to change trains at Lewisham station.

[The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Joseph Johnson)]

The hon. Gentleman will be aware that Lewisham is already a fully accessible station. In terms of the total numbers of passengers required to interchange, analysis by Department officials suggests that it may decrease in the next franchise.

[Clive Efford]

Having been through all the upheaval of the London Bridge refurbishment, my constituents now face fewer choices of London destinations under the new franchise, which means they have to change at Lewisham. The additional development right on top of Lewisham station is going to cause a great deal of congestion there. Will the Minister carry out a safety assessment at Lewisham station to make sure that it is safe for passengers who change at the station in future?