Birmingham Highways Infrastructure Private Finance Initiative Debate

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Department: Department for Transport

Birmingham Highways Infrastructure Private Finance Initiative

Lord Liddle Excerpts
Tuesday 28th November 2023

(1 year ago)

Lords Chamber
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Lord Davies of Gower Portrait Lord Davies of Gower (Con)
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I can say that “imminently” is as meant in the English dictionary, which means probably about to happen.

Lord Liddle Portrait Lord Liddle (Lab)
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Will the Minister urge the Treasury to give some thought to the bigger picture on this question? Here we have Birmingham, one of the largest cities in the country and the centre of a region that is prospering as a result of investment, some of which owes its success to the HS2 decision. It has an activist mayor. We on this side may disagree with his politics, but he has certainly managed to put Birmingham on the map. It is a city region on the verge of first-world rank and status. How would it make any sense for the Treasury to consign the highways of Birmingham city to third-world circumstances?

Lord Davies of Gower Portrait Lord Davies of Gower (Con)
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I do not necessarily agree with the latter part of the noble Lord’s comments, but on the first part, I will take his message back to the Treasury.