Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Transport Connectivity

Wednesday 4 December 2024 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • UK Government committed to the Borderlands growth deal to deliver economic growth for southern Scotland.
  • Funding for a feasibility study to extend the Borders railway line was agreed by the previous Conservative Government.
  • Air passenger duty was halved by the previous government, leading to cheaper flights and increased routes across the UK.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 John Lamont Con Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
Transport Scotland
Context

The question arises from a need to improve transport links across the border regions of Scotland and England. The extension of the Borders railway line has been previously agreed upon for feasibility studies but appears stalled due to government changes.

Question

What steps he is taking to improve transport connectivity between Scotland and England? Extending the Borders railway line to Hawick, Newcastleton, and Carlisle would boost jobs, local economy, and social mobility. The funding for a feasibility study was agreed by the previous Conservative Government with the SNP Administration in Edinburgh but seems delayed under the new Labour Government. Will the Minister ensure this funding is released soon?

Answer from Kirsty McNeill

The UK Government are fully committed to the Borderlands growth deal. It will deliver economic growth for the south of Scotland and beyond, which is one of our key missions. The Scotland Office continues to work with the Department for Transport, the Scottish Government and Borderlands partners on the next stage of business case development for the Tweedbank-Carlisle corridor, and on feasibility options for the extension of the Borders railway line. Unfortunately, it is ultimately up to Transport Scotland and the Scottish Government to follow through on the delivery of this important project.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not commit to releasing funding for the feasibility study immediately as requested.

How: It Is Ultimately Up To Transport Scotland And The Scottish Government

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Q2 John Lamont Con Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
Economy Transport Scotland
Context

A previous agreement was made to fund a feasibility study for the extension of the Borders railway line from Tweedbank to Hawick, Newcastleton, and Carlisle. However, this project appears delayed under the new government.

Question

Extending the Borders railway line to Hawick, Newcastleton, and Carlisle would boost jobs, local economy, and social mobility. The funding for a feasibility study was agreed by the last Conservative Government with the SNP Administration in Edinburgh but seems pushed back due to Labour's ascension. Will the Minister ensure this funding is released as soon as possible?

Answer from Kirsty McNeill

The UK Government are fully committed to the Borderlands growth deal. It will deliver economic growth for the south of Scotland and beyond, which is one of our key missions. The Scotland Office continues to work with the Department for Transport, the Scottish Government and Borderlands partners on the next stage of business case development for the Tweedbank-Carlisle corridor, and on feasibility options for the extension of the Borders railway line. Unfortunately, it is ultimately up to Transport Scotland and the Scottish Government to follow through on the delivery of this important project.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not commit to releasing funding for the feasibility study immediately as requested.

How: It Is Ultimately Up To Transport Scotland And The Scottish Government

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Q3 Andrew Bowie Con West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine
Economy Transport Climate
Context

The last government, led by Conservatives, reduced Air Passenger Duty (APD), which resulted in cheaper flights and additional routes. However, the new Labour Government has reinstated higher APD rates, leading to airlines cutting back on routes.

Question

May I echo the Minister's words about her predecessor—and indeed my own predecessor as shadow Secretary of State—and the work that he has done? One of the last Government's decisions was halving air passenger duty (APD), which led to cheaper flights and increased routes across the UK. With airlines already cutting back on routes due to this government's decision to increase APD, people living outside London face higher fares and fewer travel options. How can the Government support better transport connectivity in these areas?

Answer from Kirsty McNeill

As the hon. Gentleman will know, we face a climate emergency and an economic emergency of his Government's own making. We were faced with a £22 billion black hole in our first few months in government due to Treasury reserves being spent three times over. Tough choices have been made to deal with this economic inheritance.

Not addressed: The Minister did not address the negative impact of increased APD on residents outside central belt cities.

How: Facing A Climate Emergency, Economic Emergency

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