Calls to assess and rank existing rail franchise agreements rejected by MPs

4 days ago 1

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MPs person rejected calls from peers for the Government to measure and fertile obstruction franchise agreements based connected performance.

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh argued that assessing franchises arsenic portion of the Government’s plans to nationalise the railways would make “unnecessary cost” to taxpayers.

A 2nd Lords amendment to the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill stated that its intent of improving rider acquisition should beryllium written into law, but this was besides voted down successful the Commons connected Tuesday.

I americium much than blessed to reassure the House that improving the show of the railways is astatine the apical of my precedence list, particularly successful presumption of the messiness this Government inherited. I truly bash not request a intent clause to punctual maine of it

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh

Shadow transport caput Gareth Bacon accused the Government of rejecting the amendments successful bid to “fulfil an ideological task untethered from the wishes of the public”.

Ms Haigh said the Bill does “not request a intent clause” and improving the show of the railways is astatine the apical of her precedence list.

A 3rd amendment, which applied nationalist assemblage equality work to the Bill, was passed by MPs.

This means the Government volition beryllium legally required to see however obstruction services interaction radical with protected characteristics, specified arsenic those with disabilities.

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh (Aaron Chown/PA)

PA Wire

During the information of the Lords’ amendments, Ms Haigh said: “Amendment 1 seeks to insert a intent clause into the Bill and to necessitate maine to person respect to it.

“I americium definite the amendment is good intentioned and I’m delighted that aft years of declining show the enactment other present recognises that reliability and punctuality really substance to passengers.

“I americium much than blessed to reassure the House that improving the show of the railways is astatine the apical of my precedence list, particularly successful presumption of the messiness this Government inherited.

“I truly bash not request a intent clause to punctual maine of it.”

She added: “Of course, improving show is simply a vitally important objective, but it is surely not the lone 1 – redeeming millions of pounds each twelvemonth successful fees to backstage operators, stripping retired inefficiency and waste, simplifying the arcane fares and ticketing system, making obstruction services much accessible.

“All these things and galore more, are priorities that we volition code done nationalist ownership and our wider plans for obstruction reform.”

MPs voted to cull amendment one, with 344 voting successful enactment of the Government’s stance, 172 against, bulk 172.

The railways person not done capable to conscionable the needs of disabled people. We simply must, and we will, bash better

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh

On Lords amendment two, Ms Haigh said: “The applicable effect of this amendment would beryllium to hold the programme of transfers into nationalist ownership and prolong the failed franchising strategy that has inflicted truthful overmuch misery connected passengers.

“Delaying the transfers would mean deferring the benefits of nationalist ownership, arsenic good arsenic the payer having to wage millions of pounds much successful fees to backstage operators.

“Clearly, the Government cannot judge this, particularly fixed we promised the electorate that we would negociate this transportation without unnecessary cost.”

Following this, 350 voted to disagree with amendment two, 108 voted successful enactment of the amendment, bulk 242.

Referring to amendment three, Ms Haigh said: “The railways person not done capable to conscionable the needs of disabled people.

“We simply must, and we will, bash better.

“Amendment 3 would nonstop a precise wide connection by making it explicit connected the look of the Equality Act 2010 that publically owned bid operators are taxable to the nationalist assemblage equality duty.”

In justifying this ideological legislation, the Government has made wide its volition to utilise selective show data, alternatively than clarifying for its ain administrative usage oregon for rider understanding, the applicable show information

Shadow transport caput Gareth Bacon

“Amendment 3 was universally supported successful the different place, and I americium grateful for the constructive discussions that person taken spot successful narration to it.

“I americium assured that we tin proceed to enactment crossed parties to amended accessibility connected the railways and I impulse the House to enactment the Government’s presumption today,” she added.

Mr Bacon said helium could not recognize wherefore the Government opposed “such a intelligibly tenable protective measure”, successful regards to amendment one.

He said: “It is the Passenger Railway Services Bill and yet it says thing astir the passenger.

“So amendment 1 attempts to enactment this close and to enactment the rider backmost astatine the caput of the Bill arsenic the driving unit of what the Government are trying to bash and to necessitate ministers to trial their actions nether this Bill against the modular of whether it volition amended matters for the passenger.”

He added: “How could anyone reason that?

“There is small nationalist appetite for ideological measures which are not based connected the betterment of rider acquisition and to cull this amendment would beryllium a tacit ngo that the Government is rejecting the rule that authorities directed astatine the rider services should beryllium successful enactment with work improvements, and successful doing so, it would cull the wide nationalist consensus.”

Mr Bacon besides said: “I neglect to recognize wherefore the Government volition beryllium opposed to specified a intelligibly tenable protective measure, but of course, I tin guess.

“In justifying this ideological legislation, the Government has made wide its volition to utilise selective show data, alternatively than clarifying for its ain administrative usage oregon for rider understanding, the applicable show information.

“Instead, obscuring it and allowing the Government to fulfil an ideological task untethered from the wishes of the nationalist to spot their experiences connected the railways improve.”

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