National Infrastructure Plan
Debate between Andrew Bingham and Danny Alexander(10 years, 11 months ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Urgent Questions are proposed each morning by backbench MPs, and up to two may be selected each day by the Speaker. Chosen Urgent Questions are announced 30 minutes before Parliament sits each day.
Each Urgent Question requires a Government Minister to give a response on the debate topic.
This information is provided by Parallel Parliament and does not comprise part of the offical record
Danny Alexander
That is a bit of a laugh coming from Labour, which never bothered to look at the idea at all. Aside from that, this was one of the plans in the statement that I made in June where we set out a £100 billion plan for transport investment. I would happily arrange for the relevant Minister to give the hon. Lady a direct update on progress with the project.
Andrew Bingham (High Peak) (Con)
I welcome this plan, too. I draw my right hon. Friend’s attention to the feasibility study for the trans-Pennine route. I am delighted to see that in the plan, particularly with regard to the Mottram-Tintwistle bypass through my constituency and that of the hon. Member for Stalybridge and Hyde (Jonathan Reynolds). He and I have worked together and agree on that project, and I implore the Chief Secretary to bring it forward as quickly as possible. I look forward with great anticipation to the autumn statement, when I hope that we will have a solution to a problem that has bedevilled the House and my constituency for nearly 50 years.
Danny Alexander
The hon. Gentleman can be assured that that project will be considered as part of our work on the feasibility study on trans-Pennine access. It is good to hear that there is cross-party support for the project and, indeed, that there is any infrastructure project that Labour Members are prepared to support.
Public Service Pensions
Debate between Andrew Bingham and Danny Alexander(12 years, 11 months ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Danny Alexander
I am very proud indeed that we have managed to achieve something that Members on both sides of the House thought would be very difficult, if not impossible, to do—namely, to reach agreement between the Government and many of the trade unions on the long-term reform that is necessary to ensure that public sector workers continue to get the best possible pension schemes long into the future. The previous arrangements were unsustainable, but this one is sustainable, which is why I am confident in offering the House a 25-year guarantee that no party in the House will need to revisit these arrangements over that period.
Andrew Bingham (High Peak) (Con)
The Leader of the Opposition claimed recently that the Government were imposing a 3% tax rise on the lowest-paid workers. Will my right hon. Friend take this opportunity to clarify for my constituents that, under the Government’s offer, the lowest-paid workers will make no extra contribution whatever?
Danny Alexander
Yes, I am happy to confirm that. We set out at the beginning that no one earning less than £15,000 should see any contribution increase at all. In fact, through the consultation process, better terms were able to be offered in some cases. In particular, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health was able to offer better terms to lower-paid workers in the health sector. This demonstrates once again this Government’s commitment to supporting the lowest paid in these difficult times.