Oral Answers to Questions

Andrew Stephenson Excerpts

Thursday 16th December 2021 Commons Chamber

[Afzal Khan (Manchester, Gorton) (Lab)]

17. What recent discussions he has had with (a) Transport for the North and (b) other stakeholders in the north of England on completing further sections of Northern Powerhouse Rail.

[The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Andrew Stephenson)]

We will build Northern Powerhouse Rail, including 40 miles of new high-speed line and electrification of the TransPennine route between Manchester and Leeds.

[Mrs Lewell-Buck]

I thank the Minister for that response, but the reality is that the Secretary of State and the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities are refusing point blank to meet Transport for the North. The Secretary of State has claimed that the Government’s rail promises to the north are going to be fulfilled, so will he now commit to meet TfN to implement the plans contained in the northern transport charter?

[Andrew Stephenson]

I am sorry, but the hon. Lady is wrong. I meet Transport for the North regularly. I am happy to meet it again.

[Mrs Lewell-Buck]

What about your gaffer?

[Andrew Stephenson]

The Secretary of State meets northern leaders regularly. The Secretary of State established the Northern Transport Acceleration Council. I am sure he will continue to meet all northern stakeholders. But the most important thing here is that we are getting on with delivering for the north, with over £17 billion being invested in Northern Powerhouse Rail.

[Afzal Khan]

In the north, we have been waiting six years for the so-called Northern Powerhouse Rail to improve connectivity between our major cities, yet in the integrated rail plan the Government broke their promise and ditched the line between Manchester and Leeds in favour of tinkering upgrades to existing routes. Northern Powerhouse Rail’s chief architect, George Osborne, last month accused the Prime Minister of lacking ambition and said:

“Levelling up, at the moment, feels more like a slogan than a plan”.

Minister, why do this Government keep on failing the north?

[Andrew Stephenson]

It is simply not true. Since 2010, we have invested over £29 billion in northern transport. There comes a moment when you have to move away from big fancy plans to actually delivering. This plan is going to deliver benefits for the north: £17 billion being invested in Northern Powerhouse Rail, with early benefits happening soon; and over £2 billion already committed to the TransPennine route upgrade. We are getting on with delivering benefits to passengers across the north.

[Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Slough) (Lab)]

After 18 years of Tory underfunding, privatising, fragmenting and running our railways into the ground, the priority of the last Labour Government was to invest billions of pounds to modernise our old, inefficient trains. Given the awareness around the climate crisis, the priority during the last decade should have been to electrify our railways, but it has been a lost decade. After abandoning Northern Powerhouse Rail, betraying our northern towns and cities, I was stunned to read reports that Government promises on electrification are being broken because the Treasury has decided to block the £30 billion needed to decarbonise our railways, even though it knows full well that over 10,000 km of rail must be electrified by 2050 to get to net zero. So can the Minister answer a simple question: how is he ever going to meet Government targets on electrification when the Chancellor is blocking the funding needed to get there?

[Andrew Stephenson]

Again, unfortunately, the Opposition are just getting this simply wrong. The integrated rail plan will kick off the electrification of more than 75% of the country’s rail network. If the hon. Member takes the TransPennine route through Church Fenton at the moment, he will see the overhead electrification cables being erected. The midland main line electrification will start before Christmas. I would just gently remind the Opposition spokesman that, in 13 years of Labour Government, they electrified only 63 miles. Over the past 11 years, we have already electrified 1,221 miles.

[Danny Kruger (Devizes) (Con)]

4. What steps his Department is taking to maintain funding for restoring your railway projects following the covid-19 outbreak.

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[Fabian Hamilton (Leeds North East) (Lab)]

12. What steps he is taking to help ensure that work begins on delivering a mass transit system in Leeds.

[The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Andrew Stephenson)]

The Government are committed to supporting and delivering a mass transit system in Leeds and West Yorkshire, and we will provide funding for the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to progress its plans.

[Fabian Hamilton]

As Leeds remains the largest city in Europe without a mass transit system, or indeed any kind of rail-based system, surely the Secretary of State should stop pouring money into feasibility studies when they have already been carried out and instead give my constituents in Leeds North East some clarity by telling the House just how much of the £100 million from the integrated rail plan will be spent on a mass transit system for Leeds and west Yorkshire. And will he tell us who will make the decisions on how that money is spent?

[Andrew Stephenson]

The hon. Gentleman makes a good point about Leeds being the largest city without a mass transit system. The integrated rail plan committed £100 million to start work on the mass transit system and to look at the most effective way to get HS2 trains to Leeds. However, it is worth noting that in addition to that, £830 million was allocated to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority through the city regional sustainable transport settlement in the autumn Budget, of which we expect £200 million to take forward the mass transit system based on the current proposals.

[Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering) (Con)]

15. If he will ensure that funding for junction 10A on the A14 at Kettering is incorporated into road investment strategy 3 from 2025.

[The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Andrew Stephenson)]

The Government recognise the importance of the strategic road network in supporting local growth. National Highways has reviewed earlier work on a potential junction 10A on the A14 so that the project can be considered for the next road investment strategy. The review’s findings will be available in the new year.

[Mr Hollobone]

Residents in Kettering, Barton Seagrave and Burton Latimer desperately needed this junction in RIS3 from 2025; otherwise, Kettering will simply grind to a halt. Will my hon. Friend be kind enough to secure for me a meeting with the noble Baroness Vere, the roads Minister, and North Northamptonshire Council, so that we can finally get this scheme included in the road investment strategy?

[Andrew Stephenson]

My hon. Friend continues to make a powerful case for this scheme. I know that he has met my noble Friend the Baroness Vere before, but I am sure she will be delighted to meet him again to talk about this important scheme for his constituency.

[Deidre Brock (Edinburgh North and Leith) (SNP)]

16. What recent steps his Department has taken to facilitate decarbonisation of (a) public transport and (b) the wider travel sector in line with the Government’s net zero target.

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[Kevin Hollinrake (Thirsk and Malton) (Con)]

18. What steps he is taking to help improve east-west rail connections in the north of England.

[The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Andrew Stephenson)]

The Northern Powerhouse Rail project will deliver real benefits for passengers and communities, enhancing journeys and levelling up for a growing population.

[Kevin Hollinrake]

I thank my hon. Friend for that answer. The integrated rail plan contains many good things, but a significant improvement would be an improved direct connection between Bradford and Manchester. There are ways to do it without significantly increasing the overall £96 billion budget. Will my hon. Friend meet me to discuss the opportunities?

[Andrew Stephenson]

My hon. Friend is a brilliant champion for his constituents, his region and the whole north of England. The integrated rail plan was designed to deliver improvements to Bradford sooner, but I am of course happy to meet him to discuss possible future investment.

[Steve McCabe (Birmingham, Selly Oak) (Lab)]

19. What assessment he has made of the effect on transport in the west midlands of the suspension of tram services due to cracks on vehicles.

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[Alicia Kearns (Rutland and Melton) (Con)]

20. What plans he has to further develop the A1 from Peterborough to Blyth.

[The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Andrew Stephenson)]

The Government recognise the key importance of the A1 as a strategic north-south link across the country. Further improvements to the route, beyond those completed in 2009, will be considered as part of the National Highways route strategy process.

[Alicia Kearns]

Merry Christmas, Mr Speaker! I thank my hon. Friend the Minister for recognising the importance of the A1, but it shuts down at least once a week in my Rutland and Melton constituency patch because of accidents. It is a core artery for our nation and for goods, not least our Christmas stilton. Will the Minister please meet the A1 working group of MPs, so that we can explain why it is so important to upgrade the A1 to full motorway standard?

[Andrew Stephenson]

I appreciate my hon. Friend’s enthusiasm for this issue, and I am delighted to offer her a meeting with my noble Friend the Minister with responsibility for roads, who would be delighted to meet my hon. Friend and her colleagues.

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[Rob Butler (Aylesbury) (Con)]

T4. Buckingham- shire Council recently refused to allow HS2 Ltd to use roads in my constituency for its lorry movements, because despite repeated requests, it failed to provide the amount of information needed to properly assess the impact of those truck journeys on local residents. Does my hon. Friend agree that if HS2 Ltd is to live up to its promise to be a good neighbour, it must provide all relevant information to local authorities, so that they can minimise the effect of HS2 on residents and businesses?

[The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Andrew Stephenson)]

I agree with my hon. Friend, and I know how tirelessly he works for his constituents impacted by HS2. In this case, the Planning Inspectorate found that Buckinghamshire Council had been supplied with adequate information, and of course it is important that these decisions are not held up indefinitely, but I will of course continue to work with him and local residents in affected communities to ensure that we get the right approach.

[Daniel Zeichner (Cambridge) (Lab)]

The bus recovery grant expires in mid-March, and with notice to traffic commissioners required for any potential withdrawal of services, that leaves operators in Cambridgeshire and across the rest of the country facing a really difficult cliff edge on 19 January. Notice periods are important, but given the exceptional circumstances, can the Secretary of State Minister give us any assurance that action will be taken to avoid those difficult decisions and protect vital services?

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[Mark Fletcher (Bolsover) (Con)]

T5. I applaud the Government’s decision not to go ahead with the eastern leg of HS2 through the Bolsover constituency. That gives huge relief to those in dozens of the villages that I represent. Can my hon. Friend give me the Christmas present that so many residents are looking for, and lift the safeguarding on the land across dozens of villages in the constituency?

[Andrew Stephenson]

I congratulate my hon. Friend on standing up for his constituents. One of the benefits of the integrated rail plan, of course, is that it will benefit many smaller places across the midlands and north, rather than just the big cities. On the issue of safeguarding, though, I must ask him for patience. We have committed £100 million to working on the best way to get HS2 trains to Leeds, and we must wait for the outcome of that work before lifting any safeguarding.

[Rachael Maskell (York Central) (Lab/Co-op)]

York has not had a local plan for 67 years and has not had an upgrade of its local transport plan for over 10 years. I hear that the Liberal Democrat-Green council is now kicking proposals into the long grass. York Civic Trust is now grasping the nettle, but wants to know when the new instructions on local plans will be coming out, and what focus there will be on decarbonisation.

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[Lee Anderson (Ashfield) (Con)]

A merry Christmas to you and your staff, Mr Speaker, and a ho ho ho.

The integrated rail plan was fantastic news for the people of Ashfield. Not only did it scrap the eastern leg of HS2—which created havoc and devastation in my constituency—but it allows for the investment of £12.8 billion in the east midlands. However, my priority now is the Maid Marian line, which will bring rail services to Selston for the first time in 60 years. Will the Minister meet me to see what a good case I can put for the return of that service?

[Andrew Stephenson]

Ho ho ho, Mr Speaker. I should be delighted to meet my hon. Friend, who is an incredible champion for his constituency.

[Felicity Buchan (Kensington) (Con)]

I am delighted that the Government have accepted my ten-minute rule Bill as part of the transport decarbonisation plan. The plan has mandated that all new homes and office buildings that were due to have car parking spaces should have electric vehicle chargers, and I think that that makes a great deal of sense. Can my hon. Friend update the House on the timing of the likely legislation?