Member

On Amendment 34, the Secretary of State is already required under the Bill to publish any direction issued to GBR, including when these are amended or revoked. This means that any issued direction will be made publicly available, reflecting the Government’s commitment to ensuring that these powers are used transparently. For the record, I absolutely agree that GBR must be empowered to operate at arm’s length from the Government and trusted to take charge of the railway. If GBR is micromanaged by politicians—as the railway is today, by necessity—it will not be effective. A truly empowered GBR is absolutely the Government’s intention, and directions should never become a routine step.