The Government confirmed over £92 billion of capital investment in transport infrastructure at the spending review to drive economic growth and put more money in people’s pockets. That includes £24 billion to improve roads, £15 billion in long-term funding for our largest city regions and £2 billion for local transport, boosting growth in towns, cities and regions across the country.
Taxis are an essential part of Blackpool’s transport network, yet the licensing scheme is failing both passengers and our local economy. Vehicles licensed outside the area continue to operate in Blackpool, undermining passenger safety, costing our publicly owned bus company nearly £1.5 million, and holding back wider economic growth. Will the Minister commit to urgently reforming the licensing scheme, so that vehicles and drivers licensed locally can operate in Blackpool, ensuring that public safety is protected and that vital taxi revenue supports our local economy?
Following the sobering recommendations of Baroness Louise Casey in her review on child sexual exploitation, this Government are more committed than ever to tackling this issue. We have committed to legislating to address inconsistency in driver licensing, and we are considering all options, including on out-of-area working, national standards and better enforcement, to ensure the best overall outcomes for passenger safety.
I am a member of aparliamentary group on the Gatwick diamond growth area, and it is clear that expanding Gatwick airport gives huge potential for economic growth across the south-east and Croydon. Plans to upgrade Norwood Junction station, in my constituency, with a lift were shelved when plans to make wider improvements to capacity on the Brighton main line were scrapped by the previous Government. What consideration has the Secretary of State given to ensuring that there is enough capacity on our railways to support the projected growth of Gatwick, and how will she ensure that stations like Norwood Junction receive the investment that they need, so that communities like mine can feel the tangible benefits of growth?
I was pleased to meet my hon. Friend in the summer to discuss this issue, and she is right to say that the previous Government cancelled plans to upgrade the Brighton main line. I can assure her that my officials are in regular discussion with Network Rail on opportunities to improve services and ease congestion in the Croydon area. I can also report that the recently completed upgrades to the station at Gatwick airport, and to track configuration in the Gatwick area, have significantly improved performance and journey times on the Brighton main line.
Pembrokeshire is a beautiful county with huge potential for growth. Improved rail connectivity and more frequent services would bring significant benefits to our local economy, including by boosting tourism and expanding employment opportunities. How is the Secretary of State working with our Welsh Labour Government to enhance rail links for rural communities like mine in Mid and South Pembrokeshire?
My hon. Friend is a great champion of the communities he represents, and I can assure him that the Government are investing in Wales’s future to drive economic growth. We continue to work with the Welsh Government, through the Wales Rail Board, to ensure that the benefit of our £445 million investment in rail, announced at the spending review, is delivered right across the nation, including in Pembrokeshire.
There is an exciting proposal for a Universal Studios resort in Bedford. The resort is projected to attract 8 million people every year, and the development is a golden opportunity for modern transport planning. What assurances can the Secretary of State give that in the infrastructure planning, public transport will be prioritised over road traffic, and that electric rail, buses, and walking and cycling solutions will be integral from the outset?
The scale and significance of the proposed Universal Studios development in Bedfordshire is huge, and its success will undoubtedly be dependent on modern, sustainable transport options. We are committed to working very closely with Universal and the relevant local authorities as the development progresses to ensure that infrastructure planning prioritises public transport and active travel. We are really determined to make the most of this fantastic growth opportunity.
This week, I visited Schneider Electric’s brand-new manufacturing facility in Scarborough, which will create 200 new jobs. However, those opportunities are out of reach for so many of my constituents who rely on public transport. What is my right hon. Friend doing to ensure that poor transport in coastal communities like Scarborough and Whitby, which are untouched by city transport region funding, does not strangle economic growth?
I assure my hon. Friend that we are committed to driving economic growth in all areas, not only the large city regions. York and North Yorkshire combined authority will receive £94 million in local transport grant capital funding over the next four years, allowing local leaders to support schemes, including public transport schemes, that are in line with local priorities.
Given the scale of the disruption that Gravesham faces during the construction of the lower Thames crossing, what steps will the Secretary of State take to ensure that a new transport system there supports real jobs for local people and has wider economic benefit? For example, reinstating the Tilbury-Gravesend ferry would strengthen business connections across the Thames.
My hon. Friend will know that ferry services run on a private sector basis to meet local demand, and funding for local ferry services is a matter for local partners, including Thurrock council and Kent county council. However, my officials are working with them to ensure that the public transport opportunities that the lower Thames crossing may create are exploited.
Economic growth is, of course, one of the stated aims of the High Speed 2 project, but the Secretary of State knows well that it has adverse effects on communities along the line of construction. She knows also that those communities need to make plans for land that will be made available to them when construction is over and HS2 no longer needs it. At Transport questions on 27 March, I asked her about the land disposal strategy, which was by then long overdue. Six months later, we still have not seen it. Can she tell us when we will?