HC Deb 13 January 1997 vol 288 cc10-1
9. Mr. John Marshall

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many new trains London Transport has received for the Northern line; and how many are planned to be delivered in 1997. [8777]

Mr. Bowis

I understand that GEC Alsthom delivered the first new Northern line train to London Underground last month and plans to deliver 23 more trains during 1997. The first trains are expected to enter passenger service from the middle of this year.

Mr. Marshall

As one who has been at the controls of the first new Northern line train, I thank my hon. Friend for that answer. Will he confirm that, because those trains come under the private finance initiative, they are immune from any public spending decisions taken by my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor? Will he also confirm that the PFI can be used to finance further developments on the Northern line and that, whenever privatisation has taken place, it has led to strict price controls and increased investment by the private sector?

Mr. Bowis

My hon. Friend puts it succinctly and brilliantly, and I am delighted to learn that he has personally tested the trains and knows the quality of the additional service that has been brought forward by the private sector in support of London's underground. He is right to say that the £400 million that is coming from the private finance initiative in support of those trains means that Londoners will have the new service earlier and at a price that they do not have to pay themselves. The Northern line is benefiting from new trains and from the refurbishment of 10 stations, and it will go on to benefit from other aspects of the PFI that are currently being planned and proposed by London Underground in respect of power, ticketing and communications.

Ms Glenda Jackson

How can the House attach any credibility to the Minister's reply, when the Government propose to threaten not only the introduction of new rolling stock on the Northern line but the entire underground network with the abyss of privatisation? Does not the sudden advocacy of the extreme right-wing views of the right hon. Members for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood) and for Kingston upon Thames (Mr. Lamont) show the Government's desire to placate the enemy within rather than to create a modern and properly integrated public transport system for London?

Mr. Bowis

Well, well! The hon. Lady refers not once to the massive investment in London's underground in recent years, or to the programme of future investment. She describes privatisation as a great threat and ignores the fact that, as my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State said, we are carefully considering whether the principles of privatisation could apply to London Underground and whether they could do so to the benefit of the London travelling public. If that review finds that privatisation would benefit Londoners, and if the best route to achieve that can be found, Londoners will be pleased and I suspect that, within a few months of its implementation, the Labour party will claim parentage for the privatisation of London Underground.

The Labour party's policy is not a penny more and no new lines for London Underground. As Capital Transport—not a magazine that I normally quote in support—has said: The lack of clarity surrounding the position of the other main parties should not be tolerated any longer.

Mr. Harry Greenway

Does my hon. Friend recall how poorly run the Northern line and other underground services were under the unlamented Greater London council, run by the Labour party? Will he ensure that steps are taken and proposals made to maintain improvements that have been made since the GLC abandoned that task and all others, and ensure a better future for the London traveller, who jolly well deserves it?

Mr. Bowis

Yes, like my hon. Friend I recall those days, when the underground was a very poor service and investment was at a minimum. Investment is going into the lines. We have just spoken about investment in the Northern line. About £800 million of modernisation is now being completed on the Central line. Train refurbishments have taken place on the Bakerloo, Circle, Hammersmith and City and Victoria lines and are in hand for the Metropolitan and Piccadilly lines.

Under the Government, underground services are improving. The core is being protected and the expansion of the service means new and exciting prospects for travellers in London in future.