Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Andrew Griffith and Katherine Fletcher

Tuesday 5th September 2023 Commons Chamber

[Andrew Griffith]

I am not familiar with the issue that the hon. Lady speaks about. I would be very happy to meet her to understand it in more detail.

[Katherine Fletcher (South Ribble) (Con)]

11. What steps his Department is taking to help support pubs through the tax system.

UK Infrastructure Bank Bill [ Lords ] (Second sitting)

Debate between Andrew Griffith and Katherine Fletcher

Committee stage
Tuesday 22nd November 2022 Public Bill Committees

[Andrew Griffith]

Yes.

[Katherine Fletcher (South Ribble) (Con)]

rose—

[The Chair]

Order. It might help if, when the Minister sends a reply to the shadow Minister, he sends it to the whole Committee.

[Andrew Griffith]

I will do that.

[Katherine Fletcher]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Bone—for the first time, I believe.

Recently, I was briefly the incumbent of the roads portfolio, which is obviously an important part of infrastructure. The average time from scheme idea to spades in the ground actually exceeds the seven years that is provided for in the Bill. While I am extremely sympathetic to the points made by my hon. Friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire about ensuring that we do not go too long without checking, I am also sympathetic to the idea that we need to be able to operationalise the schemes. Does the Minister agree that the key to getting the seven years down is the reform of planning legislation? We cannot guarantee an investment until the development consent orders are cleared.

UK Infrastructure Bank Bill [ Lords ] (First sitting)

Debate between Andrew Griffith and Katherine Fletcher

Committee stage
Tuesday 22nd November 2022 Public Bill Committees

[Katherine Fletcher]

Studying Parliament as he does, the Minister will have paid attention to my campaign to be Transport Committee Chair, which was unfortunately unsuccessful last week. One point that I made repeatedly as part of that campaign was about the projects that are slightly too big for local authorities and slightly too small for the Department for Transport. The objectives, while hotly debated here, must be so prescriptive as to not allow the UK Infrastructure Bank to lend to local authorities for smaller but none the less important projects in local communities. Is that fair?

[Andrew Griffith]

My hon. Friend makes a very fair point. I will be happy to facilitate meetings between her— expert in transport as she is—and the infrastructure bank to get into some of those potential projects in more detail. She made a significant contribution as roads Minister.

Clause 2(5) sets out the definition of infrastructure. We have taken a power to amend the bank’s activities and the definition of infrastructure, using the affirmative procedure in both Houses. Across these different areas, clause 2 is the bedrock on which the bank will operate, and I commend it to the Committee.