Rail Ticket Offices

Kenny MacAskill Excerpts

Thursday 6th July 2023 Commons Chamber

[Huw Merriman]

I will certainly do so, with my right hon. and learned Friend, and I will share a bit of experience that led me to want more in this direction. I need to get a weekly travel card, but I could not get it online because it was not available. I went to the station but did not have a photo with me. I asked, “Why is it the case that we still need a photo when that weekly travel card is less than an Avanti single?” I was told, “That’s the way it has been on the railway for 40 years. That’s why we do it.” That is not good enough. I have mobility, so I can walk up to Charing Cross to make that transaction —or not make it—and then leave, but for others who do not, it does not work for them at all. I can give him the assurance that alongside this programme is a strong exercise to make all products accessible from machines and online; 99% are already accessible, but we need to get the full suite of products so that people do not have to queue in the manner he has just described.

[Kenny MacAskill (East Lothian) (Alba)]

Although these station office closures are in England, they have implications for Scottish passengers. Many in my constituency, myself included—never mind those in the Borders and elsewhere in southern Scotland—access services through stations in northern England, in Berwick and elsewhere. That is not just a matter of choice, but often a matter of necessity; it is required because of the pan-UK services timetabling from LNER, TPE or CrossCountry, all of which are signed off by the DFT. What discussions are taking place with the Scottish Government or with Scottish passenger representatives to ensure that the rights of those north of the border who are impacted by this change will be protected?

[Huw Merriman]

I will be looking to speak to the Scottish Executive. In Scotland, similar proposals have, as I understand it, been rolled out to a number of ticket stations by ScotRail. I want to assess whether that was a mandate from the Executive. I will certainly be having a chat with them to see what lessons can be learned, given that Scotland appears to have gone before England in that regard.

Oral Answers to Questions

Kenny MacAskill Excerpts

Thursday 3rd December 2020 Commons Chamber

[Steven Bonnar (Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill) (SNP)]

What recent assessment his Department has made of the implications for his policies of (a) opportunities and (b) requirements for transport decarbonisation to achieve the Government’s net zero carbon emissions target.

[Kenny MacAskill (East Lothian) (SNP)]

What recent assessment his Department has made of the implications for his policies of (a) opportunities and (b) requirements for transport decarbonisation to achieve the Government’s net zero carbon emissions target.

[The Secretary of State for Transport (Grant Shapps)]

Our forthcoming transport decarbonisation plan will set out a credible pathway to achieving net zero emissions across transport by 2050.

[Grant Shapps]

The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. It is probably worth the House reflecting that in the 13 years of the previous Labour Government, 63 miles of electrification took place, compared with 1,110 miles during our tenure.

[Kenny MacAskill [V]]

The energy from major offshore wind farms will flow ashore into my constituency, but few jobs will currently be created. Hydrogen schemes offer opportunities not just for transport, but for tackling global warming and creating employment in East Lothian. What resources will the Minister commit to ensuring that hydrogen schemes are part of Britain going forward, and that East Lothian gets its fair share of onshore employment?

[Grant Shapps]

The Government are committed to hydrogen as a technology. I recently announced the Tees valley as a hydrogen hub. We have invested £121 million into hydrogen innovation, including the hydrogen buses that are currently running in Glasgow.

Oral Answers to Questions

Kenny MacAskill Excerpts

Thursday 17th September 2020 Commons Chamber

[Margaret Ferrier (Rutherglen and Hamilton West) (SNP)]

What recent steps the Government have taken to support the UK transport sector and its supply chains during the covid-19 outbreak.

[Kenny MacAskill (East Lothian) (SNP)]

What recent steps he has taken to support the UK transport sector and its supply chains during the covid-19 outbreak.

[Douglas Chapman (Dunfermline and West Fife) (SNP)]

What recent steps the Government have taken to support the UK transport sector and its supply chains during the covid-19 outbreak.

--- Later in debate ---

[Robert Courts]

The hon. Member rightly notes that those tax matters are for the Treasury. I will be sure, in the early days and weeks of my time in this brief, to listen to all representations from the sector and consider any appropriate action.

[Kenny MacAskill [V]]

Several of my constituents in the aviation sector have had their terms and conditions of employment unilaterally changed, and for the worse. While support for the sector is vital, surely when executive bonuses and dividend payments seem unaffected, the protection of workers’ rights is equally essential. Will the Minister commit to supporting the Employment (Dismissal and Re-employment) Bill proposed by my hon. Friend the Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire North (Gavin Newlands), as well as the calls of the trade unions?

[Robert Courts]

The hon. Member makes an excellent point. The workers to whom he refers are highly skilled, highly trained and of enormous value to the UK and the aviation sector. I urge all employers to treat those who work for them with respect and sensitivity, and I urge them to work in a spirit of partnership with unions and employees.