British Rail (Hansard, 17 March 1986)

§ 4. Mr. Maclennan
asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he last met the chairman of British Rail, and what subjects were discussed.

§ Mr. Ridley
I last met the chairman on 17 February and discussed a wide range of matters of current interest.

§ Mr. Maclennan
What resources may be made available from the Department of Transport to the chairman and the board to carry out their policy of improving the track between Wick, Thurso and Inverness by bridging the Dornoch firth and laying a new railway line?

§ Mr. Ridley
Investment in track, bridges, or any other material is entirely a matter for the board to consider. It puts forward plans, and we always approve them if they are viable. We have received no investment application in relation to the Dornoch firth bridge.

§ Mr. Fry
When my right hon. Friend sees Sir Robert Reid, will he tell him that the recent statement by the management at Leicester that British Rail does not want so many commuters from Wellingborough and Kettering and that they will price them away is hardly a marketing policy to be commended, nor should it be expected of British Rail?

§ Mr. Ridley
My hon. Friend will agree that that is a matter for the management of British Rail, which must be responsible for what its managers say. I am sure that he will take the matter up with the chairman.

§ Mr. Anderson
When the Minister meets the chairman, will he make clear his views about the swathe of redundancies on the freight side in south Wales, from the constituency of my hon. Friend the Member for Newport, East (Mr. Hughes) and the Severn tunnel junction in the east through to Llanelli in the west, both of which will be closed, which will have a considerable effect on job losses in the Principality, and on the environment, because of the increased lorry movements? Does he recognise that this is due principally to the Government's policy of destroying the manufacturing base of south Wales and imposing an impossible freight target on British Rail?

§ Mr. Ridley
The hon. Gentleman knows that that is a matter for the management of British Rail. It has agreed the present PSO target and the target for freight, and it must decide how to implement that policy. The hon. Gentleman should take the matter up with British Rail.

§ Mr. Robert Atkins
When he next meets the chairman of British Rail, will my right hon. Friend tell him that my 7 constituents and I are fed up with the west coast intercity line being the Cinderella of British Rail, in that it has no 125s or advanced passenger trains, punctuality is no more than a joke, and the information given to passengers before and during travelling on the line is inadequate? Will he tell him that there must be some changes, because I am fed up with receiving letters from my constituents, who express rightful concern about the quality of the service?

§ Mr. Ridley
I am sure that the chairman will read Hansard and see the comments of my hon. Friend and other hon. Members. However, I must repeat that these are matters for British Rail. The House would not expect me to be permanently employed conveying messages from hon. Members to the chairman of British Rail.

§ Mr. Snape
When the Secretary of State next meets the chairman of British Rail, will he discuss punctuality with him? Does he agree with the secretary of the Central Transport Consultative Committee that many routes are causing serious concern and that the CTCC is strongly urging British Rail to improve standards? Does it give him any cause for comfort to know that 48 per cent. of eastern region trains and 34 per cent. of trains on southern region ran late last year? Does he think that Sir Robert Reid is making a pretty rotten job of running British Rail, and if the Secretary of State considers that he could do better, has he thought of applying for the job himself?

§ Mr. Ridley
I must repudiate the hon. Gentleman's last suggestion. I believe that Sir Robert Reid is extremely good at running British Rail. I do not think that I would be at all good at it. Equally, Sir Robert Reid would not be quite so good at running my Department. As for the first part of the hon. Gentleman's question, the level of standards expected of British Rail, including punctuality, is laid down in the objectives which I gave to the chairman two and a half years ago. It is up to the management of British Rail to achieve those standards.