South-west England (Long-term Economic Plan)

Andrew Murrison Excerpts

Wednesday 8th July 2015 Commons Chamber

[Dr Fox]

My hon. Friend makes a very good point. If the Chancellor is looking for places where it would be appropriate for him to invest the money he has and where he would get a good bang for his buck, I am sure those of us here tonight could give him one or two pointers.

[Dr Andrew Murrison (South West Wiltshire) (Con)]

My right hon. Friend has been extremely generous in giving way. As I sense that he is winding up, I wanted to ask him another difficult question. Has he spotted in the Budget resolution statement that £1.5 billion will be going to intelligence and security services? Does he welcome that, particularly as we in the south-west have a large number of constituents who are engaged in that vital enterprise?

[Dr Fox]

I am extremely grateful to my hon. Friend for making that point. That concentrates our minds in the south-west, but it should concentrate the minds of the whole country because the threats that we face as a nation are increasing. It is therefore vital that we increase the funds available to the intelligence services, but probably and more controversially we will have to give them the powers they require to be able to deal with the threats that we face. That will be a very different argument that we will have in the House in time to come.

At the recent general election a blue tide swept through the south-west, and now every constituency between Bristol and Land’s End, with the exception of Exeter—next time—is in Conservative hands. We understand the responsibility and the duties placed upon us by what was a landslide in that election, but we are thrilled at the opportunity it brings to speak as one to our own Government about the issues facing the south-west, and we have seen that unity of purpose tonight. There may be 56 Scottish National party MPs speaking for Scotland, but there are now 51 Conservative MPs speaking for the south-west. If we are the south-west powerhouse, perhaps we are also politically the new Scotland.

We will be constructive and supportive, giving the Government the time and the space to deliver on their promises, but we will not hesitate to hold Ministers to account when those promises do not materialise. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity and we are collectively determined to take full advantage of it.