Transport Infrastructure

Jeremy Corbyn Ind

Islington North

Question

Mr Prime Minister, your announcements about HS2 do not add up to a serious plan. It is only because of the Conservative Government's failure to manage costs that the project was in doubt in the first place. When will the links to Manchester and Leeds be confirmed? What about the environmental impact on woodlands?

Minister reply

The Prime Minister acknowledged the importance of HS2 but did not provide specific details due to ongoing reviews, emphasising a need for better integration with other rail networks.

Jeremy Corbyn Ind

Islington North

Question

I thank the Prime Minister for an advance copy of his statement. Once again, we see the Government taking ideas from the Labour party, adopting our language, but falling a very long way short on the substance of it.

Minister reply

I thought the right hon. Member for Islington North (Jeremy Corbyn) made a manful attempt to conceal his fundamental agreement with what we are doing. He raised some interesting points.

Huw Merriman Con

Bexhill and Battle

Question

The additional £5 billion for buses and cycle links is greatly welcome. How will the Prime Minister ensure that the money allocated to local authorities for these projects is spent by local authorities on these projects?

Minister reply

I congratulate my hon. Friend on the work he does for his community. I can assure him that we will ensure that when money is allocated for buses or cycling projects, it is spent on buses and cycling projects.

Ian Blackford SNP

Ross, Skye and Lochaber

Question

I thank the Prime Minister for an advance copy of the statement. Let me be mindful of one reality. No number of prime ministerial vanity projects will ever heal the economic damage and the damage to connectivity that this Tory Brexit will inflict.

Minister reply

I can assure the right hon. Gentleman that we will of course collaborate with the Scottish Government on projects that will be of massive benefit for the whole of our United Kingdom.

Andrew Mitchell Con

Sutton Coldfield

Question

My right hon. Friend’s comprehensive announcement will be widely welcomed across the west midlands and in Birmingham, and nowhere more so than in the royal town of Sutton Coldfield. Will he pay tribute to the superb leadership of our West Midlands Mayor Andy Street in marshalling the arguments and in putting the case for something that will underwrite our economic prosperity for the future?

Minister reply

My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. I salute the work of Andy Street and his vision for transport in the west midlands, which will be supported, encouraged and fomented by HS2.

Graham Stringer Lab

Blackley and Middleton South

Question

I very much welcome the announcement as far as HS2 and the integration into HS3 are concerned. Does the Prime Minister agree that his statement could be improved and bring more immediate jobs to the north of England if, as well as building HS2 from London to the north, we also started building HS2 from the north to the south? Finally, for real ambition, would he agree that HS2 should go to Scotland, which would help to unite the two countries?

Minister reply

We will certainly get on with building phase 2a immediately, but I can tell the hon. Gentleman that HS2 already does go to Scotland; that is one of the great advantages of the project.

Michael Fabricant

Question

The Prime Minister will understand that Andy Street and I tend to talk about soft furnishings, as the subject tends to avoid argument, because I am less than enthusiastic about the route of HS2, which connects with neither Eurostar, Birmingham New Street nor St Pancras. However, I am delighted to hear the Prime Minister say that the organisation of HS2 Ltd will be revised. As HS2 is now going ahead, does he agree that it is important that we compensate well those people in my constituency—and in his—who will be affected by it?

Minister reply

The short answer is: of course.

Lilian Greenwood Lab

Nottingham South

Question

The confirmation that the full HS2 route has been given the go-ahead is welcome news, and there is a strong case for building the Birmingham to east midlands part early, but if the project is to deliver on its potential for our region, we need assurances that the phase 2b Bill will receive Royal Assent in this Parliament, and that it will not be delayed further or downgraded to cut costs. Will the Prime Minister give us those assurances today?

Minister reply

Of course we are committed to phase 2b, but I think the hon. Member will appreciate—given what has happened in the past 10 years with phase 1—that it is vital that we use this inflection point to ensure that the taxpayer gets maximum value as we proceed.

Victoria Prentis

Question

My right hon. Friend the Member for Chesham and Amersham (Dame Cheryl Gillan), who is recovering from a major operation, has asked me to thank the volunteers and donors from all over the nation who have fought against HS2 over the past 11 years. The last three years have given us a few lessons in what gracious defeat looks like, and although I remain worried by the environmental, financial and governance issues of the project, I really do wish it all the best. I was particularly pleased to hear what the Prime Minister said about the northern section and the speed with which he intends to deliver it, and about buses and bikes. I have one ask, on taking a holistic approach to blight; if it is impossible to regrow ancient trees or to get rid of congestion where it exists, can we please compensate communities by, for example, building their local hospital?

Minister reply

We can certainly ensure that we restore areas where there is environmental damage—and there will of course be effects on woodlands. We will be planting 7 million trees, which is many more than will be destroyed.

Charlotte Nichols Lab

Warrington North

Question

On balance, I welcome the news that HS2 has been given the go-ahead, for the capacity gains that will benefit the north-west region and for the construction and rail supply firms in my constituency, which I hope will receive a fair shot at winning contracts associated with the project. However, my constituents in Culcheth, Croft, Risley and Hollins Green in particular will be looking for assurances that the unnecessary Golborne spur will be removed from the proposed route. This is an issue that transcends party affiliations and on which local MPs are in agreement. Will the Prime Minister give us those assurances?

Minister reply

I have heard representations on the Golborne spur from many people in this House, and we will certainly be looking at the matter.

Graham Brady

Question

I welcome the increased priority for Northern Powerhouse Rail and the link from Manchester to Leeds in particular, but will my right hon. Friend ensure an urgent review of parts of the route for phase 2b, including the Golborne spur, which is entirely unnecessary and likely to cost more than £1 billion—completely wasted money? Will he also look at the fact that the station for Manchester airport is absurdly not at Manchester airport, and will instead be built on ancient woodland at Davenport Green in my constituency?

Minister reply

My hon. Friend makes excellent points about the Golborne spur and Manchester airport. We will certainly be looking at both issues.

Munira Wilson Lib Dem

Twickenham

Question

Key to cutting carbon emissions and tackling climate change is cutting domestic flights and moving people on to our railways. That is why the HS2 announcement is to be welcomed and building a third runway at Heathrow is an act of environmental vandalism. Will the Prime Minister now prove his credentials on climate change, make good on his promise of lying down in front of the bulldozers, or—far more simply—just cancel the third runway?

Minister reply

I see no bulldozers at present, nor any immediate prospect of them arriving.

Pauline Latham

Question

Local authorities have limited resources to deliver their new local cycling and walking infrastructure plans. Would my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister support the delivery of parts of those plans through appropriate local charities, such as the Derwent Valley Trust in Derbyshire, that are capable of implementing key sections of the network?

Minister reply

Yes. It will be very important to collaborate with appropriate delivery vehicles, such as the charity that my hon. Friend mentions.

Meg Hillier Lab Co-op

Hackney South and Shoreditch

Question

It is good to have certainty over HS2, but the Prime Minister has unveiled a raft of big spending projects. Where is the money going to come from?

Minister reply

The money is coming through the hard work and effort of the British people. This Government will manage our finances prudently and ensure that the economy is not wrecked, as it was by the last Labour Government.

Robert Goodwill

Question

HS2 will connect with the Elizabeth line and Heathrow airport at Old Oak Common station—a station that will become every bit as famous as Victoria or Waterloo. But Old Oak Common will be neither old nor common, so does the Prime Minister agree that it should have a name that is iconic and in keeping with its importance—maybe after the first woman Prime Minister of our country?

Minister reply

That is a brilliant idea. Let us try that one out on the Mayor of London.

Ed Miliband Lab

Doncaster North

Question

May I ask the Prime Minister about the prospects for change in relation to the eastern leg of phase 2b? The original HS2 vision was to serve and regenerate our towns, but towns in South Yorkshire are facing all of the pain and none, or very little, of the gain. May I commend to him the HS2 North concept, which local campaigners came up with—they got there first—and which has an integrated plan to help towns such as Doncaster and Mexborough?

Minister reply

The right hon. Member makes a very good point on behalf of Doncaster. We are certainly looking at the plan that he mentions.

Bill Cash

Question

The Prime Minister knows how bitterly disappointed my constituents in Staffordshire will be about the decision. May I simply ask him, when he is considering the question of review, to include phase 2a from Birmingham to Crewe—and the rest of that part of the constituency, which is going to be so badly affected? We need a proper link with Handsacre to ensure that Stoke and Stafford are properly serviced. Does he understand that, and will he do everything to ensure that we are kept in the review?

Minister reply

Absolutely; on Handsacre, my hon. Friend has my full support.

Hilary Benn Lab

Leeds South

Question

I welcome the Prime Minister’s announcement but, given what he has said about reviewing phase 2b, could he tell the people of Leeds when he now expects the new HS2 station to open?

Minister reply

We will get it going as soon as possible.

Andrew Jones

Question

May I congratulate the Prime Minister on this statement? He is so right when he says that the economy of the north needs both east-west and north-south connectivity. Does he agree that the challenge we face in transport is not, as sometimes articulated, between local and national investment—what we need is both?

Minister reply

Absolutely. We cannot have the gains of one without the other. Local productivity will not be boosted unless we improve national connectivity up the spine of this country, and that is what HS2 is all about.

Lucy Powell Lab Co-op

Manchester Central

Question

I strongly welcome the announcement today on HS2, but let us be clear: the question mark was written by the Prime Minister and his Government, and it should not have been written at all. Under the terms of the review we are now seeing, can he ensure that the full benefits of NPR and HS2 are fully integrated at Manchester Piccadilly station and that no stone is left unturned in making sure that that can happen?

Minister reply

Yes, I certainly can.

Eddie Hughes

Question

Infrastructure costs are frequently driven up by unforeseen ground conditions. Can the Prime Minister remind the House of the commitment by this Government to increase spending on research and development, such as at Birmingham University, which is working on quantum technology to map those ground conditions?

Minister reply

I thank my hon. Friend. He is entirely right. HS2’s investment will not just drive the construction sector—it will drive the economy across this country, including in higher education.

Jonathan Edwards PC

Carmarthen East and Dinefwr

Question

Last time I looked on a map, London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds were all in England. So can the Prime Minister explain why Scotland and Northern Ireland get a 100% Barnett rating from HS2 while Wales gets nought per cent?

Minister reply

Of course, as the hon. Gentleman knows very well from looking at the map, north Wales will benefit from the Crewe link. I might say to the representative from Wales that it is high time that the Welsh Labour Government got on and delivered the M4 bypass at the Brynglas tunnels. If they will not do it, we in this Government will.

Andrew Bridgen Con

North West Leicestershire

Question

HS2 is unloved and unwanted, and has been grossly mismanaged. It very adversely affects my constituents. Does the Prime Minister appreciate my and my constituents’ concerns that this could well be an albatross around this Government’s and the country’s neck, and does it not set the bar very low for the delivery of infrastructure projects on time and on budget by all future Governments?

Minister reply

Every great infrastructure project is opposed by people at this stage. The M25 had 39 separate planning inquiries. The Treasury was against the M25, and, I seem to remember, delivering the Olympics, and it tried to get rid of Crossrail. Every single infrastructure project is opposed at these critical moments. We have got to have the guts and the foresight to drive this through.

Chi Onwurah Lab

Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West

Question

In London, thanks to Sadiq Khan’s Hopper fare, I can travel across the entire Greater London area on two buses—up to 30 miles—for £1.50. In Newcastle, £1.50 will barely get me four stops up West Road. Will this funding bring north-eastern bus fares into line with those in London, or is this all bluff and bluster signifying nothing?

Minister reply

I remind the hon. Lady that bus ridership has fallen catastrophically under the current Labour Mayor because of his mismanagement of the system. Crime has risen precipitately. We will ensure not only that we drive down crime, in spite of what the current Labour Mayor is doing, but that we have fantastic, cheaper, greener, cleaner buses across the country.

Mary Robinson Con

Cheadle

Question

I welcome this statement, particularly the decision to start treating the local rail improvements under HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail as one integrated masterplan—High Speed North. As the design stage is brought forward, how are we going to ensure that local business leaders and communities are included in deciding what is best for their area locally in terms of this high-speed rail project?

Minister reply

We will make sure that businesses and communities are fully involved in the preparations for High Speed North.

George Howarth Lab

Knowsley

Question

The devil, as the Prime Minister well knows, is in the detail. May I cautiously, though, welcome the announcement on HS2, and the announcement about linking up the northern powerhouse great cities? In the course of that, he said, “and Liverpool”. Could he give us some indication as to what he meant by that?

Minister reply

That is at the next stage of the consultation.

Theo Clarke Con

Stafford

Question

The Government have ended uncertainty for those who want HS2, but will my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister also end uncertainty for my constituents in Stafford who have waited years for their houses to be bought and for compensation to be paid?

Minister reply

Yes, we will do just that. I apologise to everybody for the uncertainty that has been involved.

Clive Betts Lab

Sheffield South East

Question

I welcome the commitment both to HS2 and to Northern Powerhouse Rail, but in neither case did the Prime Minister mention Sheffield. Could he therefore confirm that the Sheffield loop will go ahead as planned in HS2, and that the Northern Powerhouse Rail improvements are about not just Manchester to Leeds but Manchester to Sheffield as well?

Minister reply

We are proceeding with the whole of the HS2 plan, but, as the House will appreciate, given what has gone before, it is right that we interrogate the methods and costs as we go forward with phase 2b.

Jeremy Wright Con

Kenilworth and Southam

Question

My right hon. Friend knows that I do not agree with the decision he has reached on HS2, but I respect the fact that it was a difficult decision and I am grateful to him for listening to both sides of the argument before he made it. Now that it is made, is it not right that HS2 Ltd needs not just to compensate more swiftly and more fairly than it has, but to communicate better than it has with those affected by the line? Will he make that specifically part of the remit of the new HS2 Minister?

Minister reply

My right hon. and learned Friend is absolutely right. The record of HS2 in engaging and communicating with local people has been woeful, and we will ensure that that changes from now on.

Gavin Newlands SNP

Paisley and Renfrewshire North

Question

The Prime Minister said that it was the SNP that was standing in the way of high-speed rail to Scotland; in fact, it is his Government who are doing that. So can he tell us precisely: what year will the line be extended to Scotland?

Minister reply

I am delighted, in the first place, that the hon. Gentleman supports high-speed rail and that he supports HS2. As I say, the only obstacle to that great project is the deranged SNP plan to install an economic barrier—including an immigration barrier, for all we know—between England and Scotland.

Amanda Solloway Con

Bromley and Chislehurst

Question

I am delighted by the statement today. Does my right hon. Friend agree that it supports growth not only in the north but in the midlands, including the constituents and businesses of Derby North?

Minister reply

Indeed. I thank my hon. Friend for her support. You can go to the midlands and see the investment already flooding in as a result of HS2. Let us turbo-charge that now.

Alison McGovern Lab

Birkenhead

Question

It is kind of funny, in a way, to see the Prime Minister come here to gleefully re-announce a project that he himself and his office tried to put a stop to. But while he is in train set-building mode, can I draw his attention to the Wrexham to Bidston line that would connect north Wales and Liverpool? Will he put some extra investment in there so that we can speed up improvements?

Minister reply

We will certainly examine very carefully the proposal that the hon. Lady makes, and whether it qualifies under our £1.5 billion Beeching plan.

Craig Whittaker Con

Calder Valley

Question

As my right hon. Friend knows, Calder Valley has been hit again by flooding, with the third most devastating flood in seven and a half years. Getting across the Pennines is a struggle at the best of times, let alone after flooding, so the news about Northern Powerhouse Rail is fabulous for us in Calder Valley. But can he assure the House that we will not wait for HS2b to be determined before we start Northern Powerhouse Rail?

Minister reply

First, I extend my commiserations to all the people of Calder Valley who have experienced flooding. We all know how traumatic a flood can be. I can assure my hon. Friend that we will certainly allow no delay in pushing ahead with all the branches of the project.

Stephen Kinnock Lab

Aberavon

Question

The HS2 project, albeit somewhat shambolically handled, is great news for England, but it shows once again the contempt in which this Government hold the people of Wales. The entire budget for electrifying the main line to Swansea would be less than 1% of the vast sums that are being talked about today. So will the Prime Minister commit today to electrifying the main line to Swansea, or will he continue to hold the people of Wales in contempt?

Minister reply

As I just said to the hon. Member for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr (Jonathan Edwards), north Wales will benefit from the line to Crewe. We have already electrified the line to Cardiff. I urge the hon. Member for Aberavon (Stephen Kinnock) to get on to his friends in the Welsh Labour Government, who squandered £144 million on a study for the bypass of the M4, which they then decided not to do.

Stephen Hammond Con

Wimbledon

Question

I warmly welcome what my right hon. Friend has said today, particularly the announcement on HS2 and the review of the governance arrangements. Can he confirm that he will use this as an opportunity to embed the skills we need to deliver that infrastructure and open academies such as the tunnelling academy he opened during the Crossrail construction period?

Minister reply

Yes, indeed. I well remember working with my hon. Friend on that project and many others. This will drive jobs and apprenticeships for young people for a generation to come.

Sammy Wilson DUP

East Antrim

Question

I welcome the Prime Minister’s investment in the skeleton of the UK economy—the thigh bone, the knee bone and the ankle bone, to use his words—but he has forgotten about the red hand of Ulster, which appears to be detached from his plan. Could he outline what procurement and project opportunities there will be for Northern Ireland, including a commitment to a bridge between Northern Ireland and the UK, which would improve the sinews of the arm and the attachment of the hand to the rest of the body?

Minister reply

The right hon. Gentleman’s characteristic optimism is in marked contrast to the negativity that we heard from the Leader of the Opposition. Of course there will be opportunities for procurement in Northern Ireland and, indeed, elsewhere. Buses spring to mind.

Rachel Maclean Con

Redditch

Question

Redditch is only a short hop away from the HS2 terminus in Birmingham, so I welcome today’s announcement. Does the Prime Minister agree that, because my constituency has the highest rate of people going to work by bus, Redditch is the perfect candidate for Britain’s first all-electric bus town?

Minister reply

What a brilliant idea!

Jim McMahon Lab Co-op

Oldham West and Royton

Question

This is welcome, if delayed, news, in particular for Manchester and Greater Manchester. Will the Prime Minister ensure that metro Mayors and council leaders are hard-wired into the review? Will he also consider starting at Manchester and meeting in the middle, to ensure that we get the benefits early on, particularly for education, skills and jobs in my town?

Minister reply

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. We will indeed be working with the metro Mayors and are already consulting them on exactly that.

Andrew Percy Con

Brigg and Goole

Question

We have had the fluffy end of the lollipop for too long in the north on transport funding, so I am made up by this decision on HS2 and HS3. Will the Prime Minister look at the operator service option fund for underutilised lines like the Goole-Snaith-Leeds line?

Minister reply

I would be only too happy to look in detail at the Goole-Leeds line and see what we can do to assist.

Catherine McKinnell Lab

Newcastle upon Tyne North

Question

Newcastle and the north-east need immediate infrastructure investment in HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail. Will the Prime Minister invest in our east coast main line to ensure that the north-east is NPR and HS2-ready?

Minister reply

The hon. Lady makes an excellent point, and we are indeed upgrading the digital signalling on the east coast main line.

Mark Pawsey Con

Rugby

Question

What reassurance can you provide to businesses in Rugby that fast services will remain on a well-maintained railway after HS2 bypasses Rugby?

Minister reply

I have looked at that issue, and I am convinced that the existing capacity will continue to be extremely important and drive jobs and investment in Rugby.

Mike Kane Lab

Wythenshawe and Sale East

Question

HS2 will reduce journey times from Manchester airport to London from two hours 24 minutes to 59 minutes. Why does the Prime Minister not start building HS2 down from Manchester?

Minister reply

We are building Northern Powerhouse Rail as fast as we can, but the hon. Gentleman will appreciate that that project is not in the state of readiness of the Birmingham to London route.

Edward Timpson Con

Wirral West

Question

How do we realise more benefits for towns such as Winsford by integrating Northern Powerhouse Rail, conventional rail network and HS2? Will you confirm that the Cheshire salt mines and the threat of sinkholes will be considered in the next review?

Minister reply

I can certainly confirm that the threat of sinkholes from the Cheshire salt mines will be considered as part of the review.

Judith Cummins Lab

Bradford South

Question

Does he agree that Northern Powerhouse Rail must include a city centre stop in Bradford?

Minister reply

I thank the hon. Lady for the representation she makes on behalf of Bradford. I see the point that she makes, and we will consult on that issue shortly.

Kieran Mullan Con

Bexhill and Battle

Question

Will local residents have a strong voice in deciding where new buses go and how often they go there?

Minister reply

Of course, it is vital that the expansion of local bus services meets local demand.

Caroline Lucas Green

Brighton Pavilion

Question

HS2 does not cut carbon emissions. Shouldn't HS2 meet at least European average for high-speed rail modal shift?

Minister reply

We have just announced the biggest ever package in history for zero-carbon buses and possibly hydrogen buses as well.

Alec Shelbrooke Con

Wetherby and Easingwold

Question

Will you look properly at where the station is located and the ability to use existing rail routes and infrastructure in Leeds?

Minister reply

There will be a review—I must be clear with the House. We will be going forward with the whole programme, but we will ensure that we get proper value and proper political leadership and grip of the whole programme.

Alex Norris Lab Co-op

Nottingham North

Question

Can he reassure east midlands people that there will not be any unnecessary delay to HS2b and that Midlands Engine Rail will be woven into the scheme?

Minister reply

Yes, I can.

Paul Howell Con

Wyre Forest

Question

Will UK-based companies such as Hitachi Rail have a real chance of getting business out of HS2 procurement process?

Minister reply

I thank my hon. Friend. He has lobbied me personally several times on that issue, and I can assure him that the plant and the jobs in question will be uppermost in our minds.

Stephen Flynn SNP

Aberdeen South

Question

HS2 is projected to cost Aberdeen £220 million. Does he agree it will be an economic disaster for my city?

Minister reply

On the contrary, HS2 will shorten journey times across the whole United Kingdom, in particular Scotland.

Holly Mumby-Croft Lab

Scunthorpe

Question

Does he agree that we should use our world-class steel such as that we produce in Scunthorpe for projects like HS2?

Minister reply

I pay tribute to the workers of British Steel for what they do. Most of our train tracks come from British Steel, whether in Scunthorpe or elsewhere.

Matt Western Lab

Warwick and Leamington

Question

Given that we are now facing a climate emergency, should the Government invest significantly more than proposed in sub-regional transport systems such as buses and cycle routes?

Minister reply

I think I can say without fear of contradiction that I have built more cycle lanes than anyone else in the House.

Greg Clark Con

Islington North

Question

Will he apply his attention to what should be the muscular limb connecting London to Hastings?

Minister reply

My right hon. Friend makes an extremely good point, and I shall certainly examine the London to Hastings route.

Chris Bryant Lab

Rhondda

Question

Is he seriously suggesting that there will not be a single extra penny for Wales as a result of today’s announcements? Will he promise to electrify the line all the way to Swansea and open the tunnel from Blaencwm to Blaengwynfi?

Minister reply

As I have told the House, we have electrified the line up to Cardiff. When it comes to tunnels—the Welsh Labour Government spent £144 million on a study on whether or not to open the Brynglas tunnels.

James Cartlidge Con

South Suffolk

Question

I very much welcome the statement, particularly my right hon. Friend’s commitment to a more convenient ticketing system. Many of my constituents commute into London three or four days a week for a better work-life balance, but find that they have no choice but to pay the cost of a full-time season ticket. I urge him to ensure that the trial of part-time season tickets is rolled out nationwide so that we have a ticketing system that suits the modern-day reality of our flexible labour force.

Minister reply

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport assures me that that is indeed his intention.

Emma Hardy Lab

Kingston upon Hull West and Haltemprice

Question

We have had 10 years of rail downgrades in Hull, from cancelling electrification to older trains taking longer to arrive at their destination. While I would like to welcome Northern Powerhouse Rail, I am slightly disappointed that whenever the Prime Minister mentions it he does so between Leeds and Manchester, as we all know that it begins in Hull. From now on, I would like him to talk about it coming from Hull, and will he tell me when we will see the benefits in my constituency?

Minister reply

The road to Hull is paved with good intentions, and we intend to build it. We will make sure that we have Hull fully as part of our vision for High Speed North, and I am sure that the hon. Lady’s contribution will be warmly welcomed.

Miriam Cates

Question

I thank my right hon. Friend for his announcement, and I agree that we need both buses and trains to connect our communities. However, can he reassure my constituents in Penistone and Stocksbridge, which has many rural areas, that investment in buses will benefit our rural towns and villages, not just our big cities?

Minister reply

My hon. Friend is absolutely right, which is indeed the point of the investment in buses. Everyone knows from talking to their constituents that a decent, reliable bus route can be absolutely transformative of their lives and of their kids’ prospects, so we will do that across the country.

Andrew Slaughter Lab

Hammersmith and Chiswick

Question

With Birmingham airport 30 minutes from Old Oak we will not need a third runway at Heathrow, I am sure the Prime Minister agrees. However, will HS2 terminate at Old Oak for three years while Euston is under construction, as the press are reporting and, if so, what will he do about the disruption and overcrowding at Old Oak? It is already the biggest development and an interchange site, and is very happy with its historic name, by the way.

Minister reply

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his support for the name of Old Oak Common. We will make sure that we take control properly of the management of that fantastic project. There is huge potential for success at Old Oak. Indeed, it presents a potential link between the great west line and HS2. We will also ensure that we take proper control of what is happening at Euston which, he would agree, has been a shambles. We have a special purpose vehicle established to get the maximum value for the taxpayer from that project.

Simon Hoare Con

North Dorset

Question

I welcome entirely the statement by my right hon. Friend. Anyone who is interested in increasing productivity and global Britain could not fail to do so. In response to the question that he was asked a moment ago, would he take into account, with regard to rural bus provision, the fact that social mobility in our rural areas needs a boost? These buses can help to achieve that. When taking funding decisions, will rural sparsity be taken into account as a trigger?

Minister reply

Yes, of course. Rural need and rural sparsity will certainly be taken into account, as we will take into account the needs of all towns and communities. It is not only that these buses will help people to get to work or wherever they need to go; they give businesses the certainty and confidence that they can invest in that town, in the knowledge that they can employ people who can commute easily.

Kate Green

Question

I welcome today’s announcements, both on rail and on buses. In relation to buses in Greater Manchester, can we have an urgent decision on funding for the clean freight and clean bus funds?

Minister reply

These will be the cleanest, greenest buses that the country has ever seen, but we will certainly make use of the clean bus fund.

Greg Smith Con

Mid Buckinghamshire

Question

May I urge my right hon. Friend and, indeed, anyone who seeks to celebrate the HS2 decision to keep central in their mind the blight that it will bring to communities up and down the route, not just on the landscape but on people’s lives? Throughout the enabling works so far, people have been left in severe financial hardship. Can we have an independent body with real power to scrutinise every decision that HS2 Ltd makes?

Minister reply

My hon. Friend is entirely right in what he says. I speak as an MP for a seat on the route. As in his constituency, thousands of people have faced confusion and uncertainty about HS2, and it is vital that they are treated properly, which is why the construction commission will look at making sure that everyone is treated fairly.

Alison Thewliss

Question

The Scottish environmental journalist Rob Edwards has warned since 1995 about the munitions dumps by the Ministry of Defence in Beaufort’s Dyke, the deepest point in the north channel of the Irish sea, and the exact route of the Prime Minister’s latest fantasy bridge. Will the Prime Minister abandon the project and give the money to the Northern Irish and Scottish Governments directly so that we can invest in priorities for Scotland and Northern Ireland, rather than his fantasy plans?

Minister reply

We will bring forward proposals in due course.

Harriett Baldwin Con

West Worcestershire

Question

As a west midlands MP, I warmly welcome today’s announcement, and I thank the Prime Minister and the Transport Secretary for working with West Midlands Mayor, Andy Street. Will he confirm, as we move towards net zero, that the extra capacity on our railways will allow lorries carrying freight to come off our motorways?

Minister reply

My hon. Friend is absolutely right: that is one of the many advantages of the proposals before the House today.

Rupa Huq Lab

Ealing Central and Acton

Question

As a nearby west London MP, may I ask the Prime Minister over to my patch, where HS2, Crossrail and Heathrow are already impacting on lives, to make the much promised visit—his officials will know that I have been promised this for years now—to see the reality on the ground of what a super-development opportunity area looks like for people who tend to be forgotten between historic Euston and countryside beauty?

Minister reply

I have fond memories of walking the streets of the hon. Lady’s constituency and listening to her lobby me in person; no doubt I shall be doing so again all too soon.

Jason McCartney

Question

Does the Prime Minister agree with me that we now have a wonderful opportunity to win hearts and minds on High Speed North by getting thousands of SMEs involved in procurement and tens of thousands of young apprentices trained up, and the Huddersfield University Institute of Railway Research doing innovation and, most importantly of all, fully integrating it with Northern Powerhouse Rail, linking the northern cities and my local town of Huddersfield?

Minister reply

My hon. Friend speaks eloquently and passionately for Huddersfield, which is among the many towns and cities that will benefit from HS2.

Wera Hobhouse Lib Dem

Bath

Question

To announce 250 miles of new cycle routes as a big green infrastructure investment is a complete joke; it will mean only a few extra miles per local authority, and we cyclists know what they look like. If the Prime Minister agrees that we need many more continuous segregated cycle routes, how can he begin to explain how 250 miles across the country will cut it?

Minister reply

This is just the beginning.

Vicky Ford

Question

I am delighted to hear that when it comes to buses and bikes we are all going Dutch. Will my right hon. Friend make sure that rapidly growing areas like Essex and the east of England get our fair share of the funding?

Minister reply

Absolutely.

Ruth Cadbury Lab

Brentford and Isleworth

Question

To double the rate of cycling from 2% to 4% of all trips will, according to Government figures, require £5 billion-worth of funding at least, so how much of today’s announcement of £5 billion for buses, cycling and walking will actually be spent on cycling?

Minister reply

In the first stage, £350 million.

Commons Sense

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