Oral Answers to Questions

Zarah Sultana Excerpts

Thursday 12th March 2020 Commons Chamber

[Mike Amesbury (Weaver Vale) (Lab)]

2. What steps he is taking to reduce the cost of rail fares.

[Zarah Sultana (Coventry South) (Lab)]

5. What steps he is taking to reduce the cost of rail fares.

[Kate Osborne (Jarrow) (Lab)]

8. What steps he is taking to reduce the cost of rail fares.

--- Later in debate ---

[Chris Heaton-Harris]

The hon. Gentleman would probably like to know that 98p of every £1 paid in fares goes back into the railways, which allows investment in all the areas where he would like to see it, including accessibility for his constituents.

[Zarah Sultana]

Under the Conservatives, rail fares have rocketed by 40%. An annual season ticket from Coventry to London is now £5,760, to Birmingham it is £1,400 and to Nuneaton it is £1,200. That unfairly puts rail travel beyond the reach of many of my constituents and it discourages green travel. Privatisation has failed, so will the Government bring our railways into public ownership to slash fares and combat the climate emergency?

[Chris Heaton-Harris]

I am sure the hon. Lady will look forward, as I do, to the issuing of the Williams review, which answers some of the questions she raised, but she should be careful what she wishes for because, today, using a single fare—£7, I believe it is—to go from London to Coventry, a host of Conservative Members are going to campaign in her hyper-marginal seat, at very good value for money.