Contributions
805 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD High Speed 2 ResetIt is not true to say that Wales is getting nothing. At the spending review last year we announced £445 million in direct funding to modernise and upgrade Welsh rail, and only a…19 May 2026HANSARD High Speed 2 ResetI have been clear and remain clear that we will not extend HS2 north of the west midlands. When I made the Northern Powerhouse Rail announcement a couple of months ago, I…19 May 2026HANSARD High Speed 2 ResetI am sorry to hear of the situation that the hon. Lady describes. If she wants to write to me about that specific case, I will raise it with the leadership of HS2 for her.19 May 2026HANSARD High Speed 2 ResetI will gently correct the hon. Member. When it comes to HS2, we may be talking about tens of billions, but we are not talking about hundreds of billions. He makes a fair point…19 May 2026HANSARD High Speed 2 ResetOne of the failings of HS2 has been to focus on the speed of the line and the four stations, when actually one of its major benefits is to free up capacity on the existing west…19 May 2026HANSARD High Speed 2 ResetI am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his support for our overall approach. I am reassured that we have the capability and capacity that is needed in the executive leadership of…19 May 2026HANSARD High Speed 2 ResetWe have taken a different approach this time; our estimates are informed by the work done over the last five years. I am committed to ensuring that the scope remains the same, and…19 May 2026HANSARD High Speed 2 ResetI am keen that HS2 should always engage with the community and local businesses with care, respect and rigour. If that has not been the hon. Lady’s experience locally, I know that…19 May 2026HANSARD High Speed 2 ResetMy hon. Friend has been a fearsome advocate for his constituents on this issue, and I know that he is meeting the Rail Minister later today to talk about the impact on his…19 May 2026HANSARD High Speed 2 ResetI congratulate the hon. Gentleman on levering in a question on air passenger duty into a statement on HS2.19 May 2026HANSARD High Speed 2 ResetMy hon. Friend has been a great advocate for his constituents, and I totally agree that the focus now, as it should have been all along, is on delivering more seats, and more…19 May 2026HANSARD High Speed 2 ResetThe right hon. and learned Gentleman makes a very interesting point. One of the things that I am most keen to do is ensure that the huge investment that we are putting into HS2…19 May 2026HANSARD High Speed 2 ResetMy hon. Friend is right; the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) never misses an opportunity. I am very concerned about ensuring that connectivity between the UK mainland and…19 May 2026HANSARD High Speed 2 ResetMy apologies, Madam Deputy Speaker. Previous Prime Ministers, in my view, created the world’s most expensive slow-motion car crash, and they barely batted an eyelid. This…19 May 2026HANSARD High Speed 2 ResetI hope the hon. Gentleman is reassured that I am already looking at this matter and have discussed it with HS2’s leadership. My right hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham Hodge…19 May 2026HANSARDBetter Connected: Integrated Transport StrategyOn 2 April the Government published “Better Connected: A Strategy for Integrated Transport” to deliver simpler, more reliable and better joined-up journeys for people across…14 Apr 2026HANSARDEast West Rail: ConsultationEast West Rail is central to the Government’s economic growth mission and plans to unlock the potential of the Oxford to Cambridge growth corridor. By delivering new east to west…14 Apr 2026HANSARDThird Road Investment StrategyI am pleased to inform the House that the Government will today publish the third road investment strategy. Backed by over £27 billion of investment over five years, this will…26 Mar 2026HANSARDRail Renationalisation: East of EnglandI think that is possibly a first for the Father of the House, and it underlines the strength of feeling that he and his constituents have about improved rail services. He is…26 Mar 2026HANSARDRail Renationalisation: East of EnglandI am grateful to my hon. Friend for his advocacy on behalf of his constituents and those using rail services in his area. I can assure him that Greater Anglia continually looks…26 Mar 2026