Lord Bishop of Leeds debates involving the Department for Transport during the 2024 Parliament

Tue 23rd Jul 2024

Road Investment Strategy

Lord Bishop of Leeds Excerpts
Wednesday 11th September 2024

(1 month, 2 weeks ago)

Lords Chamber
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Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill Portrait Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)
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I do not have the precise answer to that question, so I will be delighted to write to the noble Lord to clarify the questions he asked.

Lord Bishop of Leeds Portrait The Lord Bishop of Leeds
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My Lords, the answers we have had so far, which are welcome, refer to future strategy in terms of economics and finance, but there is another element that this Government have built into their programme, which is making long-term decisions. Is any future road strategy being looked at holistically in relation to public transport development? They cannot run in separate grooves.

Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill Portrait Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)
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The way the road investment strategy works is that the Infrastructure Act 2015 requires a road investment strategy—known as RIS to the initiated—to be set. As I said, this strategy expires in March 2025. We might normally have expected to see the publication of a draft road investment strategy 3, for the five years beyond 2025, published by the previous Government, but in fact it was not. We are now required to do that and the Government will, in due course, do just that. It is stand- alone, but it must be recognised that the department, which is responsible for all modes of transport, including public transport, will have to consider how it spends both its capital and its revenue in the best way to achieve the targets of growth, jobs and housing.

HS2

Lord Bishop of Leeds Excerpts
Tuesday 23rd July 2024

(3 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Lord Bishop of Leeds Portrait The Lord Bishop of Leeds
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My Lords, one of the mysteries of HS2 was that you could get to places like Leeds 16 minutes quicker, but you could not get anywhere else when you got there because of deficiencies in the northern network. What confidence can we have that any other plans that come forward will be realised and improve the situation in the north?

Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill Portrait Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)
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Reintroducing the High Speed Rail (Crewe - Manchester) Bill is the first step in doing so, by providing powers to develop, construct and operate railway infrastructure that is key to improving interregional and northern rail connectivity, which, of course, generates economic growth, jobs and housing.