The Green Party peers supported this legislation and voted for it in the final stage, but felt it fell short of full public ownership as it failed to include the public ownership of the rolling stock. So while the rail passenger franchises are taken back into public hands as their contracts expire, the actual trains are being leased from private companies. So once again public money, spent on a public service, continues to flow into private hands.
To sum up, Jenny’s speech was a mix: “Well done, Labour, but why stop there?”
Jenny put four amendments which aimed to devolve control of the railways to regional and local authorities. These are light-touch proposals to allow councils and combined authorities to work together to run or oversee the railways within their areas.
Can the Minister please reassure me that the publicly owned rail companies will work in tandem with transport authorities all over the system to make sure that bus timetables are integrated into train timetables? How is the system being designed to ensure co-operation between different parts of the network; for example, so that buses and trains can run on linked timetables?
Read the whole debate here
Jenny’s amendments can be viewed here and below
31_ Clause 2, page 3, line 23, after the second “Ministers” insert “or an elected public body”
Member’s explanatory statement
This amendment and others in the name of Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb would expand the
definition of “public sector company” to enable public service contracts to run passenger railway
services to be awarded to public sector companies owned by local elected public bodies.
32_ Clause 2, page 3, line 25, after “Ministers” insert “or an elected public body”
Member’s explanatory statement
This amendment and others in the name of Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb would expand the
definition of “public sector company” to enable public service contracts to run passenger railway
services to be awarded to public sector companies owned by local elected public bodies.
33_ Clause 2, page 3, line 27, after “Ministers” insert “or an elected public body”
Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill 9
Member’s explanatory statement
This amendment and others in the name of Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb would expand the
definition of “public sector company” to enable public service contracts to run passenger railway
services to be awarded to public sector companies owned by local elected public bodies.
37_ Clause 2, page 3, line 27, at end insert—
“(ba) “elected public body” means a body which is—
(i) a mayoral combined authority,
(ii) a combined authority, or
(iii) a unitary, county, district or borough council,
or which is composed of more than one of the bodies listed above.”
Member’s explanatory statement
This amendment and others in the name of Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb, would expand the
definition of “public sector company” to enable public service contracts to run passenger railway
services to be awarded to public sector companies owned by local elected public bodies.
Jenny’s verbal contributions to this bill catalogued below
Final legislation here
Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb 