Quid est veritas

It is no surprise that Parliament is held in such low esteem when Ministers and their Civil Servants can't be bothered to get their facts right.

Here a response, published yesterday (7th July 2008), to a question from LibDem Transport Spokesman Norman Baker.

Baker had asked for an update on the progress of the Competition Commission's investigation into the ROSCOs.

In a written answer Tom Harris (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Transport; Glasgow South, Labour) said:
The Competition Commission are due to notify their provisional findings during the course of this month. The investigation timetable is set out on their website:
www.competition-commission.org.uk/inquiries/ref2007/roscos/pdf/core-timetable.pdf

Don't bother following the link because the one given in the written answer doesn't work.

Perhaps just as well because the date given by the Minister for the publication of the provisional findings is at variance with that published on the CoCo website.

On the 7th July Tom said:
"The Competition Commission are due to notify their provisional findings during the course of this month (July)".

The Competition Commission says:
"August - Notifying provisional findings and (if required) possible remedies."

As misleading Parliament is a grave offence perhaps an apology from the Minister might be in order; followed by the ritual disembowelment of some of his more Spencer like Civil Servants who, it would appear, couldn't be arsed to read what the CoCo website actually said.

Hymen to that

What's come over Virgin?

A passenger on this morning's fast 10.29 to Glasgow (which in more glamorous days was known as the Royal Scot) reports that staff along the platform were lined up to say "good morning" even to those in standard class.

Pity the same courtesy isn't extended to users of surly Virgin Media, whose Broadband operation was castigated this week for misleading customers over speed and miserable customer relations.

Sauce for the Goose is...

Much media coverage today of the PassengerFocus report into passenger satisfaction.

According to its survey only 40% of customers believe rail journeys offer value for money.

Whilst just 34% were satisfied with the way TOCs dealt with delays.

The Fact Compiler wonders how PassengerFocus itself might score in terms of delay management, bearing in mind the publication of this report was originally due to take place on the 14th May.

That’s a whopping 80,000 delay minutes in railway speak - how do you plead PassengerFocus?

Popular Wrexham

***Seen passing Coventry the 06:45 Wrexham and Shropshire service from London had just one passenger aboard.***

To be fair the other one could have been in the loo…