§ Q8. Mr. CorbynTo ask the Prime Minister what further plans he has to meet any representatives of users of London underground trains and London buses.
§ The Prime MinisterMinisters in the Department of Transport and their officials frequently meet representatives of users of public transport in London.
§ Mr. CorbynWill the Prime Minister take this opportunity to look at the problems of London's transport and recognise that the people of London do not want to see their bus service deregulated? They want investment in the underground service rather than the cancellation of the capital programme. They want cheaper fares so that less pollution should occur in the air of London and much less congestion on its roads. Will he now intervene to restore a decent public transport system to our capital city?
§ The Prime MinisterAs the hon. Gentleman will know, the Government are providing finance of close on £1 billion a year for London transport over the next three years—more than in any recent year. As far as London buses are concerned, we are fully committed to the privatisation of London bus subsidiaries, starting later this year, followed by deregulation as soon as legislation permits. We propose to do so because it will provide bus users with the benefits of competition from private operators keen to serve the market more efficiently than nationalised industries have done.
§ Mr. BudgenWhile my right hon. Friend is identifying the reasons for the better propsects for the British economy—
§ Madam SpeakerOrder. The question is a closed question. It has to relate to London transport.
§ Mr. Budgen—in particular, the prospects for the buses in London, could he not also find time to say a kind word for the speculators and all those who took us out of the exchange rate mechanism on 16 September?
§ The Prime MinisterI am not sure that many of those speculators would have used London transport.