MPs to refer Moore to sleaze watchdog

Stephen Byers and his disgraced spin-doctor Jo Moore will tomorrow come under fire again in the House of Commons, with fresh attacks coming from the Tories and Liberal Democrats.

In a Commons debatethe Secretary of State for Transport will face new criticism of his handling of Railtrack following evidence that the number of UK trains running late has risen from a quarter to a third since the company was put into administration. He will also be challenged about the mounting costs of that decision. And he will be asked to accept criminal liability for safety on the railways – currently resting with the Railtrack board – amid claims that the number of "safety walkabouts" have been reduced.

Pressure on Ms Moore – responsible for the "horrible" 11 September email suggesting civil servants use the terror attacks to "bury" bad news – is also mounting. The Liberal Democrats are to refer her case to the Commons' sleaze watchdog to adjudicate on whether she had breached the code of conduct for ministerial advisers.

Last week she was criticised again for releasing controversial minutes of a meeting between Mr Byers and Railtrack on the day the Chancellor, Gordon Brown, made his pre-Budget report statement. A Labour MP said: "Her position must now be untenable. Quite simply, she can't do her job because she's the story."

Downing Street refused to be drawn into the continuing row over Ms Moore and Mr Byers following reports that the Prime Minister's confidence in them was waning. Deteriorating train performances were down to "leaves", a spokesman for Mr Blair said.

Questions will also be raised about the future of big projects. City sources claim that the companies set up to raise money for big railway projects will not be in a position to attract any revenue for "at least a year".