MULHOLLAND DEMANDS THAT TRANSPORT ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT MADE DURING SUMMER RECESS

10.25.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 22nd Jul 2009

Greg Mulholland MP for Leeds North West today wrote a strong letter to the Secretary of State for Transport demanding that the Government honour previous commitments to increasing the number of carriages on trains servicing Leeds.

Greg also made the point that he hoped the Department for Transport were not planning on discreetly making these changes during the summer recess when local MP's like Greg would be unable to hold them to account in the commons.

Greg has previously raised this issue in the House as well as tabling a parliamentary motion criticising the proposed reduction in carriages.

Commenting Greg said:

"The statistics clearly show that Leeds trains are in desperate need of additional carriages to cope with overcrowding.

I have made it very clear in a letter to the secretary of State that it would be totally unacceptable for the Department for Transport to make an announcement on reducing the planned number of carriages due to be introduced during the summer.

This approach would be a cynical attempt to avoid having to answer uncomfortable questions in the Commons and I don't think that the public would stand for that level of duplicity."