InterCity (Hansard, 11 May 1992)

§ 1. Dr. Marek
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has had from people in Wales regarding InterCity services to and from Holyhead.

§ The Minister of State, Welsh Office (Sir Wyn Roberts)
May I, on behalf of all hon. Members present, welcome you, Madam Speaker, to the Chair for your first Question Time? May I say also how delighted we are that it is a Welsh Question Time? We hope that our voices will be as sweet to you as yours is to us.
Eighteen representations have been received since revised services were introduced last September.

§ Dr. Marek
May I echo what the Minister said about you, Madam Speaker? That is as far as it goes. I hope that the Minister will reflect on the fact that he has no mandate whatsoever in Wales where 50 per cent. of people voted Labour, yet he will continue with a colonial Government, introducing poisoned Tory policies which nobody wants.
The Minister should not start privatising the north Wales line to Holyhead; instead will he seek to build it up and to persuade British Rail to introduce a third high-speed train—HST—so that we in north Wales will have five direct services between Holyhead and Euston, which was the case until about a year ago?

§ Sir Wyn Roberts
On the mandate, I remind the hon. Gentleman that there is only one state in Britain—the British state. We are the Government of that state.
I should have thought that the hon. Gentleman would welcome the privatisation proposals for British Rail, despite the fact that he is one of Jimmy Knapp's henchmen in the House, because they will surely give opportunities to private operators to extend the rail service. Sir Bob Reid, 356 the chairman of British Rail, has promised my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to consider carefully the possibility of introducing a third high-speed train.

§ Mr. Thurnham
Is my right hon. Friend aware that today is a sad day for anyone from north Wales or the north-west planning to travel by sleeper? Last year, we lost the sleeper service for Liverpool and Holyhead, and this morning I came down on the last sleeper service from Preston. Will my right hon. Friend have a word with the chairman of British Rail and ask him to think again or, perhaps, introduce a private sleeper service to serve those destinations?

§ Sir Wyn Roberts
Alas, the sleeper service that used to operate on the Holyhead to Euston line was not at all well patronised, but I am delighted to tell my hon. Friend that the Saturday-night, Sunday-morning boat-train service will be reintroduced under the new timetable, starting this week. I can also tell my hon. Friend that the early-morning business service from Holyhead has been elevated to Pullman status. That is very good news.

§ Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
Does the Minister agree that, although we are a British state, Wales is a nation and that that nation deserves a Parliament of its own? Does he recognise the great concern in north Wales about the continuation of InterCity services following privatisation, if it is pulled through? Can he say whether his representations with Sir Bob Reid will bear fruit? Are we to have further InterCity services from Holyhead to Euston when the new timetable comes into operation in September?

§ Sir Wyn Roberts
Wales would lose out badly in more ways than one if it were to have a Parliament of its own.
The matters that the hon. Gentleman mentioned are for British Rail. Although we can make representations to the chairman, as my right hon. Friend has done, the final decisions must be for British Rail. Privatisation will offer fresh opportunities and should therefore cause not concern but rejoicing in Wales.

§ Mr. Murphy
Whatever the Minister of State's views on a mandate, does he agree that at least 70 per cent. of the Welsh people voted against the privatisation of British Rail? Does he accept that they voted in that way because privatisation will be a threat to our valley and rural lines? What role will he and the Welsh Office play in safeguarding the best interests of British Rail users in the Principality?

§ Sir Wyn Roberts
The Government are, of course, pledged to support many of the rail services already in receipt of subsidy. The point about privatisation is that it is an oppportunity, not a threat. For example, there is an opportunity in Holyhead to renew the freight service that was abandoned by British Rail and an opportunity for franchises for passenger services. Wales should welcome the privatisation of British Rail.