Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Transport Infrastructure: North-west England

Tuesday 23 June 2026 · 2 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

  • Government committed to improving transport connectivity in the north of England
  • Decisions about local transport are better made locally according to the Government
  • Northern Powerhouse Rail backed with funding for the first time in the spending review

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Elsie Blundell Lab Heywood and Middleton North
Economy Transport
Context

The question arises from concerns about transport connectivity in northern England, particularly focusing on local decision-making powers and funding.

Question

What fiscal steps she is taking to help develop transport infrastructure in the north-west. This Government are committed to improving transport connectivity right across the north of England, and we know that part of how we can deliver that is by recognising that decisions about local transport are better made locally.

Answer from Rachel Reeves

This Government are committed to improving transport connectivity right across the north of England, and we know that part of how we can deliver that is by recognising that decisions about local transport are better made locally. That is why we are giving mayors and local leaders the powers and the funding to make decisions locally; through the transport for city regions fund alone, there will be £4.1 billion for Greater Manchester and the Liverpool city region between 2027 and 2032.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific fiscal steps were not detailed, only the commitment to empower local decision-making and funding allocation was mentioned.

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Q2 Elsie Blundell Lab Heywood and Middleton North
Economy Transport
Context

Concerns regarding the Northern Powerhouse Rail project's progress, emphasizing the importance of valuable land use for economic benefits in northern England.

Question

As the Chancellor will know, northern powerhouse has been spoken about since 2014, which is 12 years ago. If we are to get Northern Powerhouse Rail off the ground and delivered, we cannot let valuable land that could create tens of thousands of jobs and boost the northern economy be used as a cheap option. What recent conversations have there been with local leaders regarding the proposed underground station at Manchester Piccadilly?

Answer from Rachel Reeves

This Government, for the first time, have backed Northern Powerhouse Rail with actual money in the spending review. The programme will improve connections between key cities—Liverpool, Manchester, Bradford, Leeds, Sheffield and York. We have not yet taken a decision on the type of station that we will deliver at Manchester Piccadilly, but I recognise my hon. Friend's preference for an underground station. I recently met Bev Craig, the leader of the city council, to discuss how the Government can support Manchester's ambition for an underground station at Manchester Piccadilly.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific decision on the type of station and the funding details were not provided.

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