🗣️ Speeches and Debates
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My Lords, I have had a long career in transport, particularly in the railways. I can remember the day they were first nationalised. I worked in the industry in good times and bad times. In the good times, for example when I was chief operating manager at Crewe, more than 90% of the trains on the west coast main line ran on time, day after day. Money was tight, but we managed. The newly...
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My Lords, I have spoken in the House before about the need to increase bus speeds. In discussion, the Minister has come forward with a method of bringing some discipline to local authorities with bad congestion problems that make the running of a proper bus service almost impossible—I note Oxford, Cambridge and London as among those places where this is the case. I welcome the alternative...
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The noble Lord has spoken as if public ownership is something evil. I remember, when I worked on the west coast main line, that 90% of the trains ran on time. That is a far cry from what is now the case. It was so different from what he is saying that he really should take a history lesson in what was right about British Rail.
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My Lords, on the issue of freight, the intention should be that the freight service is given dedicated paths in the timetable. The timetable is the key to the whole issue. For freight to have a dedicated path, we need to use the paths that are available, or potentially available, to the best advantage. To take the east coast main line as an example, it is possible to run quite a lot more...
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My Lords, this Bill was forecast in the Labour Party’s manifesto. We have no quarrel with the need to take drastic action to make the railways work better for passengers, freight business and the taxpayer. State-run organisations can be run efficiently, and we will help to see that they do; we will also help see that, in the case of the railways, passengers and freight users are the main...
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My Lords, in the time allowed I will concentrate on transport infrastructure. I completely reject the mantra of the Conservative Party that organisations such as British Rail were inefficient. I ran the west coast main line when over 90% of the trains arrived at the right time and almost without cancellations. These are the standards we need to get back to. One of the big obstacles is the...
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My Lords, perhaps I might add a word for the very large number of people who are not in wheelchairs but who depend, like I do, on a stick. When pavements are so awful in this country, they need a lot of consideration. They walk around at their peril, often due to the irresponsible use of scooters, which are insufficiently regulated by the department.
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My Lords, when I was introduced to your Lordships’ House some 24 years ago, the then Chief Whip of the party, John Harris, gave me some advice: to speak about what you know about and otherwise keep quiet. During my career on the railway, I have managed the west coast main line on four occasions, and have kept in close touch with it since. I feel qualified to talk about it professionally....
More of Lord Bradshaw's speeches and debates
✍️ Written Questions and Answers
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To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have plan to ensure better data sharing between the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, the police, insurers and the Motor Insurers' Bureau to ensure action is taken against uninsured driving and driving after being banned.
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To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, for measures to address road users who continue to drive after having been banned from driving.
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To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to address road users who drive without insurance.
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To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to improve public awareness of the penalties for (1) uninsured driving, and (2) failing to stop after an accident.
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To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the importance for road safety of encouraging road users to select tyres carefully and fit them correctly, and to pay special attention to maintaining the rear axle of vehicles.
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To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 25 February (HL14520), what assessment they have made of the utilisation of police community support officers and other publicly employed wardens to supplement enforcement of moving traffic; and what steps they are taking to promote this utilisation to Chief Constables.
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To ask His Majesty's Government further to the publication of the White Paper From local to national: a new model for policing on 26 January, what assessment they have made of the resources available for enforcement in relation to lower-level offences, in particular moving traffic offences; and what plans they have to review these resources as part of any reform to the structure of policing...
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To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of the upcoming expiration in February 2026 of the compulsory purchase powers for phase 2a of HS2 to Crewe, what alternative plans they have to relieve congestion on the west coast main line north of Birmingham.
More of Lord Bradshaw's written questions
