§ Mr. WigginTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the change in the number of complaints to the Rail Passengers Council in the last 12 months. [73735]
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§ Mr. JamiesonThe Rail Passengers Council (RPC) is required to publish an annual report to the Chairman of the Strategic Rail Authority, whose responsibilities include protecting passenger rights. The overall number of complaints handled by the RPC between 2001 and 2002 rose by around 3 per cent., from 14,149 to 14,528. This increase was not uniform, with some areas, such as the Southern and Midlands regions, experiencing a fall in complaints. The main causes for complaints this year were train performance and service quality, redress and reimbursement and facilities and service at stations.