HC Deb 11 February 1991 vol 185 cc601-3
7. Mr. Harry Greenway

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the achievements of London Underground Ltd. against its performance objectives for escalator availability.

Mr. Freeman

Following the King's Cross fire, London Underground began a major programme of escalator renewal and improvement. It was asked to increase escalator availability from 78 to 86 per cent. by March 1992. In the last quarter of 1990, it achieved an overall availability of 85 per cent. Immediately following the King's Cross fire, the figure was 67 per cent.

Mr. Greenway

I am glad to hear of the improved availability of escalators, but also rather surprised. When my constituents and I use the London underground system we often find the escalators out of use. At Greenford station in my constituency the escalator has been out of use on three occasions in the past 18 months to two years, including six months during 1990. As that means elderly constituents of mine having to use the longest staircase on the London underground, will my hon. Friend ensure that the escalator at Greenford station is permanently available from now on?

Mr. Freeman

I am happy to go with my hon. Friend, at his convenience, to Greenford station. He would have found the escalator working this morning. London Underground's investment programme is a substantial one. It includes, for example, complete refurbishment and modernisation of the Angel station at a cost of £70 million, and the introduction of a new service on the Central line at a cost of £700 million. That is evidence of London Underground's massive investment programme, which includes the modernisation or replacement of escalators.

Mr. Cohen

Perhaps the Minister will meet Neil Gerrard, the Labour party's excellent prospective parliamentary candidate for Walthamstow, who keeps telling me that the escalators at Walthamstow Central on the Victoria line are repeatedly out of action. If the Minister will not meet Neil Gerrard, will he at least see the chairman of London Underground to ensure that the escalators at Walthamstow Central work reliably?

Mr. Freeman

I understand that the escalators went out of service on 14 January. They should be back in service in April as a major replacement of what are known as the step chains is needed.

Mr. Gill

My hon. Friend will be aware of my belief that many of the problems which face London Buses, London Underground and British Rail are essentially management problems, due to the failure of management to manage their operations directly. What plans has he to restructure and streamline the management of these essential services?

Mr. Freeman

The management structure of London Underground Ltd. is moving in the direction that my hon. Friend wants, because it now has managers of individual lines and of groups of stations. As for British Rail, London Underground Ltd. and London Buses Ltd., I agree that their management must be reformed, reorganised and strengthened, so that it can get the most out of the generous increases in resources.

Ms. Ruddock

The Minister tries to reassure the House about London Underground, but is he unaware that it plans to cut 980 jobs? Astonishingly, 66 of those posts are for engineers who work on lifts and escalators. Will the Minister acknowledge London Underground's financial crisis, which is leading to cuts in services on six tube lines, the destaffing of stations and the postponement of the Northern line's much-needed refurbishment? Is not it time that the Minister gave more grant aid to prevent a total collapse of London underground services?

Mr. Freeman

I do not recognise that there is a total collapse of services, but I agree with the hon. Lady that London Underground has serious problems. The hon. Lady will find that many of the staff losses relate to the introduction of automatic ticket processing, which brings a saving in booking office staff. The Northern line replacement has not been cut. It remains in the programme for the mid-1990s, after the Central line's £700 million programme has been completed. I challenge the hon. Lady on the question of mileage, because there have been no discernible mileage cuts in London underground services.