Sam Laidlaw and Ed Smith evidence session rescheduled

• Transport Committee
• Inquiry page: Rail 2020
• Terms of reference

The oral evidence session with Transport Committee scheduled for Tues 04 December with Sam Laidlaw and Ed Smith has been cancelled.

Chair's comments

Commenting on this decision, Louise Ellman, Transport Committee Chair said,

“I am very disappointed that the Government has delayed publication of Sam Laidlaw’s final report into the collapse of the West Coast Main Line franchise competition. It was expected that the report would be released last week and, as a result, we arranged to hear oral evidence from Mr Laidlaw and his colleague Ed Smith on 4 December.

“Not only has the report not appeared, but the DfT has not had the courtesy to contact us directly about the delay nor explain when this document will be made public. It is regrettable that the DfT should have added to the confusion caused by the abandonment of the West Coast Main Line competition with this episode.

“We have reluctantly decided to postpone the evidence session on the Laidlaw report until Tuesday 18 December at 10am, by which time the Laidlaw report should be in the public domain.”

Witnesses

Tuesday 18 December 2012

10.00 am

Department for Transport

• Sam Laidlaw, Non-Executive Director
• Ed Smith, Non-Executive Director

Please note the oral evidence from Willie Walsh to the Transport Committee inquiry into the Government’s Aviation Strategy will continue as planned on 04 December, from 15.00 in the Grimond Room.