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Rail Regulation
37. Mr. Allan: What steps the Government are taking to meet their commitment to establish more effective and accountable regulation by the Rail Regulator. [14879]
Dr. Strang: On 6 November, I announced three measures designed to strengthen railways regulation. The measures--new objectives for the franchising director, the publication of new guidelines on railway investment and a framework for co-operation between Ministers and the Rail Regulator--are the first fruits
of our on-going review of railway regulation. We are committed to establishing a new strategic rail authority on which we will publish proposals next spring, linked to our White Paper on integrated transport policy.
Mr. Allan: Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that many members of the public are put off using the rail system by their inability to get accurate information and the right ticket? Does he therefore regret that the franchising director appears to feel unable to publish the full details of the survey that he carried out recently into the mis-selling of tickets?
Dr. Strang: The hon. Gentleman is right to be critical of the present arrangements. The interim package that I announced is a significant step forward. Information is vital, but we shall need legislation to put things right.
Mr. Grocott: I warmly welcome my right hon. Friend's strategy of moving both freight and passenger traffic from road to rail wherever possible, but does he agree that that policy is made immeasurably more difficult
by the ludicrous fragmentation of our rail network that occurred under the previous Government, which makes any coherent transport policy harder to apply?
Dr. Strang: My hon. Friend is correct. That is why we have set out clear objectives for the franchising director. It is very important that the franchising director talks to local authorities. If we are to invest more in the network, build the new stations and get more freight on the railways, which is vital, we need a new start. That is where we are going.
Mrs. Laing: The Minister's answer makes it clear that the Government, by their actions in changing the Rail Regulator and the franchising authority, are building on the success of the previous Government's privatisation policy. It is therefore implicit that they are endorsing railway privatisation; why will they not do the same for London Underground, which is so much in need of further investment?
Dr. Strang: Where has the hon. Lady been for the past three years? Is she unaware of all the reports? Does she not appreciate the fact that, under the current arrangements, an operating company can cancel trains for months on end without the franchising director being able even to fine it?
Egypt (British Citizens)
3.30 pm
Mr. Michael Howard (Folkestone and Hythe) (by private notice): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the attack on British citizens in Egypt on 17 November.
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. Doug Henderson): On the morning of 17 November, six armed men went on a killing spree on the west bank of the River Nile near Luxor. At least 60 foreign tourists are reported to have been killed. Six Britons were confirmed to be among them. Three Egyptian policemen and the six gunmen also died. On behalf of the Government and, I am sure, of all hon. Members, I extend my heartfelt sympathies to the families bereaved by this atrocity and to those injured.
My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister spoke to President Mubarak of Egypt yesterday afternoon and expressed his condolences and our support in the fight against terrorism. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary expressed our condemnation of this barbarous act yesterday.
My noble Friend Baroness Symons is discussing the situation with the Egyptian Minister of Tourism, who is currently visiting London. The British embassy in Cairo and my Department have taken urgent action to discover the extent of the atrocity and whether there are any other Britons among the dead or injured. The British consul in Cairo has gone to Luxor to assist with repatriation of the British victims and to advise British visitors and holiday companies. There is also a consular representative at Cairo airport to assist those Britons who wish to leave the country.
The consular division of my Department is keeping its travel advice constantly under review. In April 1996, following the attack on Greek tourists in Egypt, the travel advice stated that security could not be guaranteed. In March this year, that advice was amended to recommend that travellers should respect advice on their safety from local security authorities. That reflected the fact that during the previous 11 months attacks in Egypt had been only on the security forces.
In September this year, following the attack on German tourists, the advice was strengthened to recommend that security could not be guaranteed. Yesterday afternoon, we issued revised travel advice, advising against visiting the Luxor area. Today, that advice has been further updated, to the effect that British visitors are advised to exercise great caution over visiting upper Egypt. Meanwhile, they are strongly advised to avoid the Luxor area until further notice. Visitors to all other parts of Egypt are advised to be vigilant and to respect any advice from the local security authorities.
In London, we have set up an emergency response team to deal with inquiries, which has already received around 1,000 calls. The team is also liaising with tour operators and the Association of British Travel Agents.
Mr. Howard:
I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his answer. I should like to associate Her Majesty's Opposition with the sympathy that he expressed to the families of the victims of this brutal attack and also the sympathy that he extended to the Government of Egypt.
There are reports that a Swiss medical team has been dispatched to Egypt. Are there any plans for the United Kingdom to offer medical assistance to the Egyptian authorities and the victims of this outrage? The hon. Gentleman was right to condemn the attack in unequivocal terms. What active steps do Her Majesty's Government propose to take, to help the Government of Egypt to counter such attacks? What progress has been made in following through the recommendations of the ministerial conference on terrorism, which I attended in Paris in July last year? In particular, has the recommendation for the setting up of a directory of competencies on counter-terrorism, which was proposed by the previous Government and accepted in Paris, been implemented?
Mr. Henderson:
I am grateful to the right hon. and learned Gentleman for his questions. I can confirm that no request for British medical assistance has been received, but were it to be, the British Government would, of course, do what they could to assist the Egyptian authorities. I can also tell him that steps are being taken with the Egyptian Government--there is a constant dialogue to identify where there are terrorist dangers. As I am sure the right hon. and learned Gentleman will know from his previous responsibilities, this Government will be doing everything they can to work with the Egyptian Government to minimise risk.
Again, I can reassure the right hon. and learned Gentleman that every effort will be made to counter international terrorism at every international forum. It is a top priority of the Government; and it will continue to be so.
Mr. Menzies Campbell (North-East Fife):
I should also like to associate myself and my right hon. and hon. Friends with the expressions of sympathy and condolence voiced by the Minister and by the right hon. and learned Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Mr. Howard).
While the causes of fundamentalism, which gives rise to atrocities of this type, are extremely difficult to ascertain, does the Minister accept that the efforts of President Mubarak and the Egyptian Government to control fundamentalism are by no means made easy by the fact that there is, as yet, no lasting, just peace in the middle east, and the Oslo agreements have not been implemented either in fact or in spirit? What efforts will the Government make--particularly as Mr. Netanyahu is apparently in London again this week and the Foreign Secretary met Madeleine Albright last week--to impress on both the United States and the Government of Israel that fundamentalism in the countries of the middle east will be better controlled when there is a just and lasting peace for the Palestinians?
Mr. Henderson:
There is no excuse of any kind for the atrocity that occurred in Egypt yesterday--no justification. Having said that, the Government will continue to do what they can in the various international forums to bring pressure on those involved in the middle east peace process to make progress towards at least an interim solution that can, I hope, reduce tensions.
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