"May I just say that three months’ notice is not a long time and any arbitrary cut cannot possibly take place in three months because timetables, trains and rosters have to be altered? Three months is a very short amount of time to give the rail regulator to make decisions.
"The amendment that I am moving is almost self-explanatory. I think that most people in the Room will have witnessed arbitrary cuts in expenditure on the railway. These cuts probably emanate from the Treasury but come through the Department for Transport, which says that it must cut 10% of rail …..." Lord Bradshaw - View Speech
"I start by saying how much I disagree with the remarks of the noble Lord, Lord Harper. His idea that parliamentary scrutiny is carried out properly in the House of Commons is absolutely false, because the whipping system there does not permit a full and frank discussion such as we …..." Lord Bradshaw - View Speech
"It will perhaps not surprise the last speaker that I find her remarks so far from the truth about what is really happening on our railway. Before and since the Bill was published, I have been approached by a number of lobbyists and companies seeking to inhibit Great British Railways …..." Lord Bradshaw - View Speech
"My Lords, I have had a long career in transport, particularly in the railways. I can remember the day they were first nationalised. I worked in the industry in good times and bad times. In the good times, for example when I was chief operating manager at Crewe, more than …..." Lord Bradshaw - View Speech
"My Lords, I have spoken in the House before about the need to increase bus speeds. In discussion, the Minister has come forward with a method of bringing some discipline to local authorities with bad congestion problems that make the running of a proper bus service almost impossible—I note Oxford, …..." Lord Bradshaw - View Speech
"My Lords, I would like to ask the Minister a few questions as my contribution. First, will he confirm that the regulator has objectives, but, in fact, all holders of the post have concentrated on the one about promoting competition to the exclusion of other duties?
"I rise at this moment to introduce the subject of traffic congestion. That is the biggest enemy of the bus, and traffic speeds are declining throughout the country. They have now reached a stage where the bus is an unattractive alternative even to walking. This, of course, generates expense, in …..." Lord Bradshaw - View Speech
"The noble Lord has spoken as if public ownership is something evil. I remember, when I worked on the west coast main line, that 90% of the trains ran on time. That is a far cry from what is now the case. It was so different from what he is …..." Lord Bradshaw - View Speech