Oral Answers to Questions

Andy McDonald Excerpts

Thursday 29th October 2015 Commons Chamber

[Dr Rupa Huq (Ealing Central and Acton) (Lab)]

6. What recent progress his Department has made on its rail electrification programme.

[Andy McDonald (Middlesbrough) (Lab)]

14. What recent progress his Department has made on its rail electrification programme.

[Mr David Hanson (Delyn) (Lab)]

16. What recent progress his Department has made on its rail electrification programme.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr McLoughlin]

I am sorry that the hon. Lady’s constituents cannot wait until 2019—they waited for 13 years between 1997 and 2010 with nothing happening.

[Andy McDonald]

Teesside has had a hammering in this place over the past weeks, but we are a resilient bunch and nothing demonstrates that better than the magnificent victory at Old Trafford last night. We are top of the league on the electrification taskforce list for the connection between Northallerton and Middlesbrough. Can the Secretary of State indicate when we might expect progress on that important economic development?

[Mr McLoughlin]

I congratulate the hon. Gentleman because I, too, am a football supporter—I support Derby County and any team that plays Manchester United—and his team has done incredibly well. He makes a fair point, and Network Rail uses a huge amount of steel, which helps his constituency. I will look into his point and write to him once I get the results of Peter Hendy’s re-plan.