Member

Public ownership also removes the barriers to co-operation by putting paid to the arguments deployed by private sector operators that vital data on demand and revenue cannot be shared because it is commercially confidential, even while the revenue accrues to the Government rather than to the operators. It will take time, but I agree with the noble Baroness, Lady Randerson, that we should make progress now, and we can do that progressively as the train operators come into public ownership. We will set out more details in the forthcoming railways Bill but, given that we support the intention to drive forward progress on these reforms and that we are working on proposals in this area, I urge the noble Baroness not to press this amendment.