Oral Answers to Questions

Baroness Chapman of Darlington Excerpts

Thursday 27th June 2013 Commons Chamber

[Stephen Hammond]

I am delighted to support that initiative, and I look forward to the invitation. Let me also congratulate the road haulage industry on the work it has been doing to make its drivers aware of the danger posed to cyclists by vehicles, and on its excellent work in upgrading the technology in a number of vehicles.

[Jenny Chapman (Darlington) (Lab)]

6. What his policy is on the privatisation of east coast main line services; and if he will make a statement.

[The Secretary of State for Transport (Mr Patrick McLoughlin)]

This Government’s programme for rail franchising was announced on 26 March. The comprehensive schedule included the intention to return the inter-city east coast franchise to the private sector by February 2015, and that remains our policy.

[Jenny Chapman]

The east coast main line will have returned £800 million to the Exchequer by the end of this financial year. Are not the Government taking us from a position in which the line subsidises taxpayers to one in which taxpayers, through their fares, will subsidise shareholders?

[Mr McLoughlin]

I am guided by the words of the last Labour Transport Secretary, who said:

“I do not believe that it would be in the public interest for us to have a nationalised train operating company indefinitely…because of our recent experience of rail franchising”.—[Official Report, House of Lords, 1 July 2009; Vol. 712, c. 232.]

He said that when he held the job that I hold now, and I think he was right.