Transport for London Bill [Lords]

I refer Members to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests with particular regar...

I thank the hon. Gentleman for inviting me to intervene at this point. The sponsors of the Bill h...

That is disappointing—in fact, I am absolutely shocked. I thought we might have been able to see ...

I was very disappointed to hear the answer from the hon. Member for Harrow East (Bob Blackman). I...

I am concerned about the Bill’s implications for all our London constituents and constituencies. ...

I was shocked, but not surprised, to hear what was said by the Bill’s sponsor, which was symptoma...

I will not labour the point. Let me now deal with the amendments. I shall begin by outlining the ...

I am glad that my hon. Friend has made that point. I am sure that he will pay tribute to the obje...

I do indeed pay tribute to the petitioners. The amendments that are in my name and those of other...

As the hon. Gentleman knows, I have a great deal of respect for him and for the work that we do t...

The hon. Gentleman and I have worked and campaigned on the third runway issue in close co-operati...

rose—

I give way to the right hon. Gentleman, and congratulate him on his elevation.

I thank the hon. Gentleman. I have some sympathy with the broad thrust of his views. There is a r...

That is a valid point, which I will try to address when we turn to the specific amendments. I tho...

May I, too, add my congratulations to the right hon. Member for Cities of London and Westminster ...

That is it exactly. That is what new clause 1 seeks to address to a certain extent, as I will com...

My hon. Friend is making a powerful case. The Bill as currently drafted will be bad for the fare ...

I come at this objectively, without any party political motivation. I am sure that the hon. Membe...

My hon. Friend does not need to speculate—if I may use that word—about the outcome of this Bill. ...

I agree. It was with some sadness that I listened to the representations of the opponents of the ...

My hon. Friend is exactly right. It has not stopped TfL selling a majority interest in the site f...

I absolutely concur, and I do not need to labour the point. All I can say to the hon. Member for ...

I am not a London Member, but I am a London resident and have been for 35 years, and I am listeni...

It is because people have not woken up to the consequences of this Bill yet. Unless someone has g...

The hon. Gentleman says that a number of people have not woken up to the consequences. Would that...

People cannot help but introduce a bit of knockabout in all of this. I have not intervened in the...

I have not intervened in the London mayoralty yet either, but I keep reading of the very Members ...

Let me abide by parliamentary convention, Madam Deputy Speaker. I understand the point being made...

These are highly technical matters. My hon. Friend has a record of getting his head round such ma...

Order.

I never said—

Order. No, I know that the hon. Gentleman has not said anything. Let us take it as read that nobo...

I am very, very grateful for that protection, Madam Deputy Speaker.

Let me make my final ge...

I think that some Members will be surprised that such a list has not already been published. This...

Somewhere deep in the heart of TfL’s offices, there will be a list. It is not a list that has bee...

The question of property ownership, the public listing of it and its future use is central to TfL...

I urge Members to obtain a copy of Transport for London’s annual report and statement of accounts...

Back in 1967—better days in many respects—in the era of Slater Walker and the rest, was not this ...

That is a valid point, but I do not want in any way to insinuate anything about the intentions of...

The new clause is extremely sensible, for the reasons that have been set out. It may well also as...

Okay, let us have that argument. The reason I specified 12 months is that I think it is a realist...

I understand what my hon. Friend says, but the example I was thinking of is Lillie Bridge depot, ...

I understand my hon. Friend’s point, but I am trying to be as realistic as possible about the bur...

I know that I am a signatory to new clause 1, but I must press the point about 12 months, which I...

I understand my hon. Friend’s argument, and I do not want to fall out with him—it is a good job t...

I, too, am a signatory to the new clause, but I, too, am persuaded by the hon. Member for Hammers...

Credibility is sinking in this House. I will not rise to that comment, Madam Deputy Speaker.

I have no objection to TfL developing its non-operational land or retaining a stake in that land ...

I disagree. I agree about the importance of new clause 1 requiring a list of assets, but I insert...

Order. The hon. Gentleman is drifting into a debate that is the subject of the second set of amen...

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. Because Transport for London is using sites to enter into a rela...

Order. I understand the point that the hon. Gentleman makes. I simply caution him that although o...

Thank you for that advice, Madam Deputy Speaker. I will abide by it, of course.

I do not want to go off the rails that Madam Deputy Speaker has just set, but this “Mind the gap”...

Let me focus on the issue that Madam Deputy Speaker raised. TfL is trying to bridge a gap as a re...

Is my friend aware that up till the Local Government, Planning and Land act 1980, any sale of lan...

I recall that that legislation operated almost on the basis of giving first refusal to another pu...

My hon. Friend is getting to the nub of the issue that his new clause seeks to address, which is ...

I agree.

The purpose of the new clause is to provide a list of assets and the intentions, o...

That is exactly so. I wonder whether, in drafting new clause 1, my hon. Friend intended—I think h...

That sort of process is a scandal, to be frank. We would not tolerate it in other public bodies, ...

I think that people would be shocked to find that the GLA has had to use quasi-legal processes to...

As I said, this is a simple exercise; it is not difficult to do. In fact, most local authorities ...

My hon. Friend is making a very good point, which was also raised on Second Reading by myself, th...

New clause 1 will inform all stakeholders and interested parties that an asset held by TfL is bei...

The parallel with the requirements on Network Rail to consider the effect of disposed-of land ass...

We will come on to that issue later, and I am sure my hon. Friend will take it up when he speaks ...

On the agreement entered into on the Earls Court exhibition centre, the publication of such a lis...

I would hope that a publication in which TfL indicated its plans for specific sites would include...

rose—

Order. Before you make your next intervention, Mr Slaughter, do you think you could make them a b...

Shorter, not Slaughter—I appreciate that, Madam Deputy Speaker. I simply want to say, for the avo...

In developments of TfL assets, it is important to have full transparency on the relationship with...

I fully support new clause 2 and, indeed, all the amendments tabled in my hon. Friend’s name and ...

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his interventions.

claimed to move the closure (Standing Order No. 29).

Question put forthwith, That the Quest...

Minister, do you want to speak?

No.

On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker.

I will explain to the House what has happened before I take the point of order. The procedural mo...

On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker.

Okay. This is very unusual, but I call Mr Corbyn on a point of order.

I am unclear from the response you are getting from the Treasury Bench, Madam Deputy Speaker, whe...

That is not a point of order for the Chair. I cannot make the Minister speak.

On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. This is a zombie Parliament and this is a grand—[Inter...

Order. Let us not—[Interruption.] Mr Kawczynski, please! Just one moment. Can we deal with this p...

This is a grand theft auto Bill concerning billions of pounds of public assets. A closure motion ...

Order. [Interruption.] Just one moment, Minister. That is not a point of order for me. Let us be ...

On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker.

Just one moment, Mr McDonnell. Please allow me to make sure that everybody understands; perhaps t...

I rise to respond to the very long and detailed speech made by the hon. Member for Hayes and Harl...

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

Not yet—I have not even started my speech. I expect to make some progress before taking an interv...

Will the hon. Gentleman give way on that point?

I will give way after I make this point. On the visibility of Transport for London’s property por...

The hon. Gentleman cannot have it both ways. On the one hand, he argues that it is too expensive ...

The reality is that the Greater London authority and assembly exist to scrutinise the work of the...

Has the hon. Gentleman read the witness account from the Opposed Private Bill Committee? At that ...

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention. It is a shame that the details he cites were not...

On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. The hon. Gentleman said that the amendments were tabled l...

Order. One second. Do not worry; relax. Let me have a little look at this. I assure the House tha...

Indeed, Mr Deputy Speaker.

On new clause 2, the issue of securing consent for the disposal ...

The hon. Gentleman mentioned housing in London and the disposal of assets to meet housing needs. ...

Order. Let me help with the debate, which we want to get under way. Mr Corbyn, I want you to save...

I reject the hon. Gentleman’s intervention and the point behind it. On behalf of the—

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

I will not take any more interventions, as we have gone on long enough—[Interruption.]

Order. If the hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington (John McDonnell) wishes to intervene, quite ri...

Why is that, do you think?

I have no idea. It is not for the Chair to judge, thank goodness, and I do not need a crystal bal...

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker.

On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker.

I hope it is a point of order. I know you would not wish to waste the Chair’s time, Mr Corbyn, be...

I appreciate that, Mr Deputy Speaker, and I am grateful to you. The hon. Member for Harrow East i...

I thought my judgment was correct: that is not a point of order. You are after a point of clarifi...

On behalf of the sponsors of the Bill, I oppose new clauses 1 and 2 and amendments 21 to 29.

What an extraordinary spectacle we have seen on the Government Front Benches! As the hon. Member ...

I thank the hon. Gentleman for allowing me to intervene. This is private business. A number of am...

I am sure the House is extremely grateful that the Minister is not going to take a Trappist vow o...

This is truly shocking. I have never known a situation where those on the Government Benches have...

The House will have heard my hon. Friend, as will those outside this House, including millions of...

We do not just want concessions; we want sensible planning of the transport needs of London. My h...

I hear what my hon. Friend says. We want sensible planning and infrastructure to be at the heart ...

Clearly, there could be that interpretation, but a wise Mayor and a wise management of TfL would ...

My hon. Friend makes an excellent point at the conclusion of his comments, which goes to the hear...

This has not been our finest hour, as I tried to say in a point of order just 10 minutes or so ag...

This was the point I raised earlier. The key aspect of the public-private partnership was the ina...

It was indeed a PPP, not a PFI—that alphabet soup is frequently jumbled in my mind. However, my h...

New clause 1 does not actually require anything other than publication of information about non-o...

I can think of only one reason why they would be so opposed—public outrage would result. I am abs...

Order. I think the hon. Gentleman is straying. I allowed him some leeway in this group of amendme...

I stand corrected, Mr Deputy Speaker.

That leads me to my last point. The Earls Court exhib...

I am pleased to speak in this debate, and I must say that I find the performance of the sponsor o...

Let me explain the genesis of the list in new clause 2. It came from the people who made represen...

I have followed from a distance—it is not in my constituency—the goings on in Hammersmith over Ea...

A railroad.

Of running anything actually, but particularly a railroad, as my friend reminds me.

Somethi...

indicated dissent.

No, my hon. Friend is just agitated because he is so appalled at the news he is hearing.

Su...

I am listening with interest to my hon. Friend’s brief remarks, and as someone who has been a res...

I am not quite sure how far it will become a major issue in the general election, but I will cert...

The hon. Gentleman raises a valid point about sequential repair of the lifts at Tufnell Park and ...

I am grateful to the Minister; that is helpful because there is understandable concern locally ab...

My hon. Friend says that he does not think this will be a major general election issue, but does ...

I absolutely agree with my friend, but time is—

Order. Time is running out, but we are speaking to specific amendments and I do not want us to ge...

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I conclude with this thought—

Just before the hon. Gentleman concludes—and being mindful of your stricture, Mr Deputy Speaker—i...

The stewardship of public assets is very important. As someone who believes in public enterprise ...

It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Islington North (Jeremy Corbyn) and to hear his ex...

Clause 4(6) introduces the need for the Secretary of State’s approval, which we all support—as do...

I thank the hon. Gentleman for that anxiety.

Hon. Members have mentioned TfL’s failure to e...

The hon. Gentleman will have heard my earlier comments on the parallels with the protection of ra...

I thank the hon. Gentleman for the reasoned way in which he has made his points. The reality is, ...

I ask the Serjeant at Arms to investigate the delay in the Aye Lobby.

I beg to move amendment 1, in page 1, leave out paragraph (2).

With this it will be convenient to discuss the following:

Amendment 4, in clause 1, page 5,...

May I say at this stage that I would like to press amendments 1 and 33 to a Division? Amendment 1...

That is the point that struck me between the eyes. I am talking about having words such as “risk”...

I fully agree, and I shall develop that argument. What my hon. Friend is suggesting in his propos...

On the detail of it, can my hon. Friend think of any other examples where a private Bill has been...

Madam Deputy Speaker, you are looking quite—

Order. The hon. Gentleman is correct. I am sure he will not be going down the line of considering...

Thank you for the compliment, Madam Deputy Speaker; it is not often that Deputy Speakers say that...