First Great Western Franchise

: I agree with my hon. Friend, who I hope will join me in the meeting with First Great Western so that we can raise some of those issues directly. I am sure that he will also raise them when he speaks to the Minister. I hope that the Minister will take away from this debate the strength of feeling that exists in our region and a sense of the importance of rail services to the south-west. I am sure that he will do so, and that he understands that we want further changes in the timetable. Anything that he can do to bring pressure on First Great Western to tweak it further would be welcome. We also ask him to accept the lessons learned from the handling of this first franchise operation and to avoid mistakes when we come to the handling of the cross-country franchise. Will he re-examine the sensitivity issues relating to the publication of the detail of the timetable and therefore enable valuable input from users, whose contribution will otherwise be restricted to generalities? If such things are not done, we will undoubtedly end up back in Westminster Hall in the months after the franchise is awarded and exactly the same concerns will be raised. We all want to avoid that. Will the Minister also ensure that issues such as platform length are considered as part of the cross-country franchise? I understand that there is scope for some of the cross-country trains to make additional stops to fill in some of the gaps in the First Great Western franchise, but that some of those trains are too long for the existing platforms. If platforms need to be lengthened, there will be investment issues. If the trains are to keep some of their doors shut in order to stop at such stations, there will be health and safety issues. Such issues have been raised with me by members of the public. All those matters need to be resolved before the next franchise is finally awarded. I would love people in the south-west and beyond to feel the romantic allure of the trains, which was so eloquently described by the hon. Member for Totnes. Unless we can provide a regular and reliable service, we will be unable to coax people even into considering using the railway. The car is far too easy an option and is so much quicker in many instances.