§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has had with Regional Railways on measures to be taken to improve the quality and frequency of service between North Wales, Chester and Cardiff; and if he will make a statement. [39852]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonThese are matters for the Franchising Director, who holds regular reviews with all the franchised train operating companies. He requires operators to plan to provide a minimum level of service frequency through their Passenger Service Requirements86W (PSRs), which are a key part of the franchise agreements, and oversees their performance. The Franchising Director has powers to support new services which are not commercially viable, and would use his "Criteria for the Appraisal of Support for Passenger Rail Services" to appraise business cases for support from his budget; those Criteria are in the Library of the House. The Government are committed to establishing a National Rail Authority to provide a clear, coherent and strategic programme for the development of the railways.