Trans-European Networks

HC Deb 15 October 2002 vol 390 cc161-3

3. Mr. Wayne David (Caerphilly)

What recent discussions he has held with his European counterparts on the development of trans-European networks. [71414]

The Minister for Transport (Mr. John Spellar)

I have met my European counterparts at four Transport Council meetings over the past year, and on each occasion the future development of the trans-European transport network has been discussed. In that time I have also met Transport Ministers from Italy, Denmark and the Netherlands bilaterally, and each time the network was included in our discussions.

Mr. David

I thank the Minister for that response. He will of course acknowledge the importance of trans-European networks for Britain and for the European Union as a whole. However, agreement was not reached at the last Transport Council meeting on the new list of specific projects under trans-European networks. Can the Minister give the House an assurance that at the next Transport Council meeting on 5 and 6 December, British interests will be firmly upheld?

Mr. Spellar

They certainly will, but as my hon. Friend will know, the question of further routes under the TENS programme is also being addressed by the Transport Ministers Council, as is the percentage of grant that will go to those programmes and the overall size of the budget. Therefore, all those factors must be reconciled. It was not possible to do so at the last Transport Council meeting, but I know that the Commission and the presidency will be working hard to get agreement for the December Council.

Mr. Don Foster (Bath)

The west coast main line is part of the trans-European network of railway lines. Given that last week the Secretary of State was unable to say how much of the money for the much-needed improvements on that line was to come from the private sector and how much from the public sector, will the Minister at least tell the House whether he anticipates that any money for those improvements will come from the European Union? On the private sector money, given that the Government have rejected Liberal Democrat proposals for the future of Railtrack, is it not the case that another Liberal Democrat proposal on the use of bonds is about to be adopted?

Mr. Spellar

It is always interesting to receive Liberal Democrat proposals, even when they are multitudinous and varied, come from all parts of the Liberal Democrat party and are often inconsistent and incompatible, as we see with monotonous regularity in the House on roads programmes. To return to railways, part of the Secretary of State's answer was that until we know the outcome of the Rail Regulator's review on track access charges, we will not know the balance of funding that will go into the west coast main line in the long term. What we do know is that getting a grip of the management of that programme—having a longer period of closures on certain sections of the line to improve it—will bring it forward by about two years. That is making considerable progress. On the final point, the hon. Gentleman should not believe everything he reads in the newspapers.

Mr. Graham Brady (Altrincham and Sale, West)

During the long periods of closure on the west coast main line, what steps are the Government taking to ensure that there is additional capacity on alternative routes and on domestic flights into Manchester airport in particular?

Mr. Spellar

I am sure that the hon. Gentleman has looked carefully at the plan. given the location of his constituency, and will realise that the Strategic Rail Authority has put considerable effort into ensuring continuing access to Manchester and the surrounding area, consistent with making a step change in the time scale of the project and its cost. I am sure that the SRA will be willing to engage with him on particular rail issues on behalf of his constituents. On aviation, obviously he may wish to take up that matter with Manchester airport and, indeed, the operators that operate out of there. If the hon. Gentleman is going to lobby for more flights, I hope that he will not then complain here about the impact of the noise on his constituents, which might qualify him for being a Liberal Democrat.

Mr. Tony Lloyd (Manchester, Central)

When my right hon. Friend is discussing trans-European networks with his colleagues, does he discuss the lamentable failure of train operators that operate through the channel tunnel to honour their promise that there would be direct services beyond London to Manchester and to other cities? That is still an outstanding demand. It is right and proper that there should be services to the great cities of this country, to link them to the great cities of the rest of Europe.

Mr. Spellar

I fully understand my hon. Friend's concerns and the concern that has regularly been raised from the regions. Given the lamentable state in which the railways were left by the previous Administration, we must have a list of priorities for investment. The number one priority for his region is the completion of the west coast main line and improving that important artery for rail traffic and for the north-west.