London Underground

That is one way of looking at the situation, but as we have discussed, what is interesting about the report is the contrast between the performance of Tube Lines, which appears to have prospered in its contract, and Metronet. The hon. Member for Eltham (Clive Efford) mentioned the materiality thresholds in connection with the risk borne by the different PPP contracts. With hindsight, it seems that they had a large impact. We shall have to wait and see whether Tube Lines will continue to prosper, but the one thing that we do know is that Metronet has failed. As I said, the report set out some interesting hypotheses on that. My MP textline is frequently used by people to rant. Here are some typical messages that I can read out in the Chamber:"““To justine. 18 oct. Arrived on southfields platform 07.33, long wait for train. Sardines! Many people unable to get on. Arrive earls court 7.58. A typical journey on the district line.””" Here is another:"““Took 30 mins to get from Wimbledon to Southfields on District Line last night””—" a journey that normally takes about four minutes—"““because of signal failure. This always seems to happen when it rains hard!””" I could continue for a long time with messages that I have received on my textline over the past few months. There is no doubt that Metronet's collapse has had a profound effect on my constituents. We are concerned about delays to improvements to East Putney station and to lifts being installed in Southfields station. In relation to accessibility, I am particularly concerned about the impact of Metronet's failure on those who are less able to get into London to work, such as people on incapacity benefit. Finally, who is culpable? A lot of people are culpable. The Mayor is culpable, because his attitude from the word go was that he was not interested in the PPP being successful. My constituents and many others around London who are reliant on the PPP delivering, however badly it was structured, have been let down by various parties, including the Mayor, who have not done their best to make it work. Metronet is culpable. When things started to go wrong it simply did not react, and much of that is contained in the report. The way in which London Underground and Metronet worked together when things were clearly going wrong was simply unacceptable. Finally, as we have mentioned already tonight, the Prime Minister structured the poor contract, within which the PPP collapsed. I have no doubt that my constituents will remember that fact. Whatever the failings, the people who are left suffering—I will probably be one of them tonight, when I have to use the District line to get home—are my constituents, and there is a real danger that, if we do not secure improvements, through a PPP contract or any other means of attracting investment, London's underground will start to be a serious drag on London's economy. I am concerned that the quality of life of this great city, which we all love living in, will continue to be pulled down by a daily experience of travelling to work that, for many people, is simply becoming unacceptable.