§ 4. Mr. Jim Cunningham (Coventry, South):What estimate he has made of the energy efficiency of (a) high-speed train travel and (b) short-haul flights for journeys (i) within the United Kingdom and (ii) between the United Kingdom and France. [138856]
§ The Secretary of State for Transport (Mr. Alistair Darling)I am aware there have been a number of studies, but with no firm conclusions.
§ Mr. Jim CunninghamI thank my right hon. Friend for that answer. Does he agree that if there were synchronisation between rail and air travel in the advance booking systems, more people would use the rail services?
§ Mr. DarlingI agree that it is important to provide people with better choice in transport, and I can tell my hon. Friend that, once the first phase of the west coast modernisation is complete next year, journey times between Birmingham and London, for example, will come down to just over one hour and 20 minutes, and between Manchester and London to just over two hours. Those journey times will provide a favourable choice compared with travelling by air. In relation to domestic journeys and those made using the new channel tunnel rail link, I believe that rail can offer a very good choice, providing a faster journey. The key is to ensure that it is reliable as well.
§ Mr. John Wilkinson (Ruislip-Northwood)Will the Secretary of State come to one firm conclusion now—namely that RAF Northolt should be eliminated from the review on airport facilities in the south-east of England for short-haul operations? The airfield is far too small, it is in a highly built-up area, and I am sure that his ministerial colleague, the hon. Member for Harrow, East (Mr. McNulty) would concur that there would be fury from local residents if short-haul scheduled services were permitted there.
§ Mr. DarlingI have made it clear on a number of occasions that we will deal with all airports in the aviation White Paper, which we will publish next month. The hon. Gentleman will just have to wait and see what our conclusions are.
§ Mr. Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):Obviously we welcome my right hon. Friend's comments on using the tunnel. I think that it is a benefit, but it ought to be a benefit for all in the UK. Will he try to ensure that there are direct links from the north-west to give us the same service and benefits that people get in the south-west and the south-east?
§ Mr. DarlingMy hon. Friend makes a good point. The first stage of the channel tunnel rail link was opened in September, and I am pleased to tell the House that today the Under-Secretary, my hon. Friend the Member for Harrow, East (Mr. McNulty), was able to present a bouquet of flowers to the millionth passenger to use that service since then. [HON. MEMBERS: Ooh!] I understand that the reaction of the passenger was just the same as 601 that of hon. Members, and that the upgrade to first class was probably more greatly appreciated than the opportunity to meet my hon. Friend.
The point is that the channel tunnel rail link means that journey times between London and Paris and Brussels are reduced, and that the journey between London and Paris will come down to two and a half hours when the project is completed in 2007. When the route runs through to St. Pancras, it will allow for far better connections to the rest of the country. As I was saying a moment ago, that will provide a better choice for passengers wishing to go to the continent. It does not, of course, get round the point that it is likely that the demand for air travel—not just to Europe, but to other parts of the country—will continue to grow as well. That is one of the things that we have to consider as we reach our conclusions in relation to aviation.