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Tees Valley Rapid Transit System

3. Vera Baird (Redcar) (Lab): What progress is being made with the proposal for a Tees valley rapid transit system. [191990]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Charlotte Atkins): The Department is aware that a rapid transit proposal is being developed for the Tees valley, but no formal bid for funding has been received.

Vera Baird: I am very pleased to have asked what I think is the first question to my hon. Friend in her new role. She is hugely welcome to the Front Bench and we wish her well. I thank her for her reply.

Does my hon. Friend agree that such a potentially key regional project should be verified as a good tool of regeneration or abandoned—the idea has been around for a long time—by a regional transport body? Does she agree that a regional transport body working closely with a directly elected regional assembly is likely to achieve the truest focus?

Charlotte Atkins: I am grateful to my hon. and learned Friend for her kind remarks and welcome. I agree that certain decisions about transport are better taken locally and regionally. Indeed, we introduced local transport plans to encourage local authorities to plan their transport provision. Regional assemblies can help to ensure that such plans are developed throughout a region in an integrated, strategic and far-sighted way.

Mr. Frank Cook (Stockton, North) (Lab): Does the Minister agree that the provision of good-quality transport facilities is essential for economic welfare and advance? Does she also agree that the Tees valley has not really been allowed a proper voice to achieve that
 
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status in the past? Would she further agree that it might be able to improve its voice if it were granted city status, as Sunderland was?

Charlotte Atkins: Regrettably, that decision is not for me. However, Tees valley will always have a voice in the Department for Transport. I am willing to welcome my hon. Friend's constituents if they want to speak to me about that. He can be assured that that area will have a voice.

Bus Contracts

4. Mr. John Grogan (Selby) (Lab): What plans he has to enable local councils to increase the number of quality bus contracts. [191991]

The Secretary of State for Transport (Mr. Alistair Darling): As announced in the White Paper "The Future of Transport" in July, we shall be bringing forward specific measures to assist councils and passenger transport authorities to improve bus services.

Mr. Grogan: I welcome the development of that policy. Will my right hon. Friend give more thought to rural areas, where local councils may wish to introduce quality bus contracts in order to have more say on routes and frequency of service but, unlike urban areas, passenger transport authorities will find it difficult to introduce bus lanes or measures to deal with congestion in return?

Mr. Darling: I understand my hon. Friend's point about rural bus services. I have said many times that although quality bus contracts might be the answer, and we have shortened the time that it would take to put them in place, there are many good examples of rural bus services that have been provided, such as dial-a-ride and more specific services as opposed to the conventional bus service. Such schemes work well when a good local authority and a good bus company work together. That is the best way to provide bus services in rural areas. They are, of course, offered significant support by the Department.

Chris Grayling (Epsom and Ewell) (Con): May I invite the Secretary of State to visit Stoneleigh in Worcester Park in my constituency where many pensioners are hugely frustrated because the Government allocate substantial funds to Transport for London and little to the counties outside London, which means that their neighbours only a few hundred yards away are entitled to free travel on public transport and they are not?

Mr. Darling: It is a matter for the local authority to help people. There are countless examples of Labour authorities up and down the country that help with concessionary bus fares. The hon. Gentleman's constituents might want to draw a conclusion from that.

Mr. Clive Betts (Sheffield, Attercliffe) (Lab): I thank my right hon. Friend for agreeing to review bus services in Sheffield. Will he join me in congratulating Sheffield city council on launching a major public consultation on the public's views of their local bus services, although it
 
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is likely to show that they think that they are bad and getting worse? Does he accept that in undertaking the review the Government will not begin by ruling things out, but will have a genuine open mind and consider all possible ways of improving local bus services so that more people use them, which includes making them more frequent and reliable?

Mr. Darling: Of course we always look at such things with an open mind. If Sheffield, or anywhere else for that matter, has proposals that would encourage bus use, we will see what we can do to support them, as we set out in the White Paper. I remind the House that I said in the summer that the Government are prepared to make additional sums available, especially to the larger transport authorities, provided that the proposed measures will genuinely increase the number of people using buses or other forms of public transport. We are not going to say, "Okay. You can regulate the buses again because you haven't made the thing work in the past." There are too many examples of where councils could do more with the local bus companies, and it is up to them to show the initiative that many other local authorities have shown up and down the country. If Sheffield comes up with proposals, we will of course look at them.

Mr. John Randall (Uxbridge) (Con): Has the Secretary of State taken advice, or is he able to offer advice, on bus request stops and hail-and-ride services in respect of the new disability regulations?

Mr. Darling: The answer to that is no, but I shall certainly consider the matter. It would help if the hon. Gentleman could let me know what he has in mind and what he thinks the difficulty is.

Rail Services (Milton Keynes)

5. Dr. Phyllis Starkey (Milton Keynes, South-West) (Lab): What recent discussions the Department has had with the Strategic Rail Authority on rail services from Milton Keynes. [191992]

The Secretary of State for Transport (Mr. Alistair Darling): I have regular meetings with the chairman and other senior members of the SRA to discuss a range of railway matters. May I also draw the attention of the House to the fact that I made a written statement this morning confirming that we intend to reduce the number of railway franchises in line with the proposals I made in July in the White Paper on the future of the railways?

Dr. Starkey: May I draw the attention of the Secretary of State to the fact that the new timetable introduced on 27 September following the SRA's decisions has resulted in a huge deterioration in the quality of rail services to and from Milton Keynes? Commuters now experience very much longer journey times, particularly from Bletchley, but also from Central Milton Keynes. The small number of Virgin trains that now stop at Milton Keynes in the morning are extremely overcrowded while enormous number of Virgin Pendolinos rush half-empty through the station in both directions. The fact that Virgin trains no longer stop at
 
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the station creates huge problems for businesses in Milton Keynes whose employees commute to the city from London or the north. Will my right hon. Friend ask the SRA to review its decision, and will he look at ways of increasing capacity at Milton Keynes by extending the platform at Bletchley so that it can take 12-carriage trains and—

Mr. Speaker: Order. I think that the hon. Lady should apply for an Adjournment debate.

Mr. Darling: I shall resist the temptation to reply to an Adjournment debate. My hon. Friend has raised these matters with me before, and I understand her concern. The SRA was anxious to ensure that the new Pendolino trains did not become overcrowded, and also that timetable for trains to the north-west was robust. New Silverlink trains will be available next year, which will increase capacity by about 5,000 seats. However, I will look further at my hon. Friend's concerns. As I said earlier, I was at Milton Keynes station last week, and saw something of the problems that she has encountered. I shall look at the issue and get in touch with her. Although there will be additional train capacity next year, there are no easy answers, because there is tension between long-distance and commuter trains.

Mr. Tim Boswell (Daventry) (Con): Will the Secretary of State also bear in mind the fact that Milton Keynes serves as the railhead for many residents of south Northants and adjacent rural areas? Does he accept that they, too, are concerned about the practical implications for anyone attempting to commute or travel to London through that station?

Mr. Darling: I am aware of that issue. When I was at Milton Keynes station I was en route to the hon. Gentleman's constituency, so I understand the point that he is making. As I told my hon. Friend the Member for Milton Keynes, South-West (Dr. Starkey) a few minutes ago—[Interruption.] I think that the hon. Member for Daventry (Mr. Boswell) did know about that visit. We must try to ensure that we have adequate commuter services from Milton Keynes, as they are important not just for the city itself but for the surrounding area.

Mr. Greg Knight (East Yorkshire) (Con): Is the Secretary of State aware that a train service of historic and national significance originates at Milton Keynes and is used by Her Majesty the Queen? Will he confirm that he has no short, medium or long-term plans to scrap the royal train?

Mr. Darling: Not only can I do so but I can report that only recently the royal family confirmed that it wished to maintain and use the royal train. I am sure that it will continue to do so.

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