Road Investment Strategy

Debate between Lord McLoughlin and Eric Ollerenshaw

Monday 1st December 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr McLoughlin]

My hon. Friend raised that issue in an Adjournment debate a few weeks ago. It was framed as a debate about congestion problems in the midlands, but I know that they affect his constituency specifically. He has often made the case for improvements to road infrastructure. I hope that some of the announcements that I have made today will lead to some improvements, but we will no doubt have to go further.

[Eric Ollerenshaw (Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Con)]

I, too, welcome the £41 million for the improvement of the bottlenecks on the A585 into and out of Fleetwood. Does my right hon. Friend agree that that builds on his announcement last year of £5 million for Lancashire county council to fill in potholes and the £111 million that was announced in 2011 to complete the M6-Heysham link road around Lancaster? Does he agree that in my part of Lancashire, we are finally beginning to make up for the 13 years of neglect by the previous Government?

[Mr McLoughlin]

My hon. Friend is right about levels of investment, not only in his constituency but elsewhere in that area. That is a marked change in the way transport infrastructure is addressed by the Government, and I hope that that continues whichever Government are in office—it certainly will under this Government.

High-speed Rail

Debate between Lord McLoughlin and Eric Ollerenshaw

Monday 24th March 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr McLoughlin]

There is no doubt that Wales will benefit from HS2. North Wales, in particular, will benefit from the proposals in Sir David’s latest report to build the line faster further north, because Crewe is a major interchange that serves north Wales.

[Eric Ollerenshaw (Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Con)]

If I understand the Secretary of State’s announcement correctly, high-speed rail will get nearer to Lancashire earlier, which obviously is a good thing. What implications does that have for earlier planning for an HS3 that goes beyond Manchester and Leeds?

[Mr McLoughlin]

If my hon. Friend does not mind, I think that that is a debate for another occasion. He is right that HS2 will have a major impact on the cities it serves and that we will have to go further as a result.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord McLoughlin and Eric Ollerenshaw

Thursday 19th December 2013 Commons Chamber

[Eric Ollerenshaw (Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Con)]

T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.

[The Secretary of State for Transport (Mr Patrick McLoughlin)]

Millions of people will be travelling long distances to see family and friends over the coming days. All key transport operators have contingency plans in place to deal with disruption if the weather deteriorates. As in previous winters, the Government are monitoring road salt supplies on a regular basis. The current stocks are robust, totalling 1.7 million tonnes

As we head into Christmas, I would also like to take this opportunity to highlight the anti-drink-drive campaign that we launched earlier this month. It reminds drivers of the snowballing consequences that can await those who get behind the wheel after drinking, including job loss, a criminal record and prison. Our message this Christmas is simple: if you’re going to drink, don’t drive.

May I take this opportunity, Mr Speaker, on behalf of all my colleagues, to wish you and all the members of staff a merry Christmas and a contented new year?

[Eric Ollerenshaw]

Labour-run Lancashire county council is purporting to cut its subsidised bus routes by 50%, which means that most of the villages and outlying council estates in Lancaster will have no buses in the evenings or on Sundays. Is it not about time for a serious review of the need to maintain vital bus services for rural and difficult-to-reach areas?

[Mr McLoughlin]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend, who makes a very important point. The truth is that, while we have seen a huge amount of growth in the railways, more people are using buses every single day, particularly in rural areas and rural communities, which rely on bus services. My hon. Friend raises important issues and his ideas certainly merit further consideration.

High Speed Rail

Debate between Lord McLoughlin and Eric Ollerenshaw

Monday 28th January 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr McLoughlin]

I am grateful to the hon. Lady for that suggestion and will think on it a little more.

[Eric Ollerenshaw (Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Con)]

When it comes to the impact of High Speed 2 on Lancaster and the rest of the north-west beyond—dare I say—Manchester and Merseyside, if I understood it correctly the Secretary of State was saying that high-speed trains from London to Manchester would enter the west coast main line just above Wigan, stopping at Preston, Lancaster, Carlisle and Glasgow, so that we in Lancaster will therefore also get shorter journey times.

[Mr McLoughlin]

The answer—[Interruption]—I am sorry, I was trying to follow exactly what my hon. Friend was saying and checking the points he was making—is that shorter journey times to Lancaster will certainly be a result and a benefit for his constituents.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord McLoughlin and Eric Ollerenshaw

Thursday 17th January 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr McLoughlin]

I am always looking to learn lessons from everything that happens on the railways. I believe that the private sector has brought tremendous growth of passenger numbers and improvements in services on the railways. Like the last Government, I am committed to seeing the east coast main line offered to franchise as well.

[Eric Ollerenshaw (Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Con)]

9. What steps he is taking to accelerate major road-building projects.

West Coast Rail Franchise

Debate between Lord McLoughlin and Eric Ollerenshaw

Thursday 6th December 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr McLoughlin]

I believe that the way in which the west coast main line is run by Virgin has been very popular with Members, not on the Government Benches but on the Opposition Benches, who have announced their intention to support that franchise.

[Eric Ollerenshaw (Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Con)]

I thank the Secretary of State for the speed with which he has dealt with this and the integrity that he has shown throughout in dealing with this difficult problem. My constituents are still seeing much needed improvements, with extra carriages and the line to Blackpool, but I hope he will forgive me if I remind him that Fleetwood remains a town with a railway line but without a railway service.

[Mr McLoughlin]

I do not mind my hon. Friend reminding me of that, and I know that he will do so on many occasions when he gets the opportunity. I look forward to having discussions and conversations with him about how we can possibly improve the situation in which his constituents find themselves, but I hope that he welcomes the fact that the line has come part of the way to his constituency, if not yet all the way.