Rail Minister Takes Break During Committee Hearing To Deal With Bad Leg Cramp

Rail Minister Huw Merriman paused questioning during Wednesday morning’s Transport Committee hearing complaining of a bad cramp in his leg.

Routine process was temporarily paused as Merriman, in clear discomfort, deferred to his colleague Conrad Bailey, Director General of Rail Strategy, insisting that he wasn’t trying to avoid interrogation.

Wincing, the Minister said: “I’m not doing this for a reason but yesterday I played football and I’ve got terrible cramp, do you mind if I hand over to Mr Bailey?”

He added: “I shouldn’t be doing it at the age of 50, but my leg feels like it’s being amputated by the muscles within it. So, could you just excuse me for a second? Sorry, Conrad.”

The explanation brought some laughter from the sitting MPs on the committee, including Labour MP Grahame Morris, who was about to finish his line of questioning.

As he rose from his seat Merriman jokingly compared his leg to British train carriages: “The rolling stock is not creaking as badly as my leg.”

“Well, it’s a shame, because I was just getting to my peroration there, but I shall ask Mr Bailey,” Morris said, before resuming proceedings.