Member

I absolutely agree with the noble Lord, Lord Boateng, on the point of the railways, growth, jobs and housing. The Bill places important duties on GBR in relation to regional and local growth, in particular in mayoral combined authorities. I would be delighted to speak to him further on this between now and Report. I am also happy to talk to him about international rail. The Bill does not change anything in respect of international rail and, in respect of Eurostar stopping at the stations in Kent and Stratford, if we still had a shareholding in Eurostar it would have been easier in 2016 to make trains stop, as it would have been in 2020 when they reduced stopping at Ebbsfleet. Because it was sold in 2015, we have to influence it and its competitors in any way we can. On this, at least, the noble Lord, Lord Moylan, is right. I am engaged in that persuasion because the economic benefits of stopping in those places are important.