Mrs Sharon Hodgson (Washington and Sunderland West) (Lab)
I am pleased to be able to table this petition on behalf of my constituents, asking the House of Commons to urge the Government to examine seriously the feasibility of bringing the Tyne and Wear Metro to Washington. The petitioners and I believe that would help attract businesses to the area and help my constituents to travel to work in other parts of the region. They pay for the Metro through their council tax but they do not get the full benefit of it. This petition is accompanied by the names of 417 people who have signed a petition along the same lines as that collected by Sun FM.
The petition states:
The Petition of residents of Washington and Sunderland West constituency and the surrounding areas,
Declares that there are inadequate public transport links for residents in Washington to access the rest of the Tyne and Wear area, increasing reliance on personal transport and reducing employment and economic opportunities for the town and its residents.
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Secretary of State for Transport to seriously explore the feasibility of extending the Tyne and Wear Metro to the town of Washington utilising the old Leamside railway line.
And the Petitioners remain, etc.
[P001131]