Oral Answers to Questions

Ann Coffey Excerpts

Thursday 25th April 2013 Commons Chamber

[Tom Brake]

I thank my hon. Friend for that question. I know this is a matter that she has been pursuing vigorously. The issue with her proposal for statutory instruments is that the two Houses could end up amending a statutory instrument in different ways. There would then need to be a reconciliation process, very similar to a Bill handling process, so there are concerns about what she suggests. If she has not already done so, she may want to raise the matter with the Chair of the Procedure Committee.

[Ann Coffey (Stockport) (Lab)]

The Cabinet Office used to give us the direct numbers of private ministerial offices. This year, we were given only the number of the main departmental switchboards. This week I had a very unhelpful experience when I tried to get some information about the progress of a regulation from a particular Department. Can—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I am loth to interrupt the hon. Lady, but I must confess that I am struggling to see the precise relevance of her supplementary question to the issue of scrutiny of statutory instruments. Maybe she was coming on to it.

[Ann Coffey]

Yes, the regulation was one that I was attempting to scrutinise the progress of, but I could not do so because of that unhelpful experience. Will the Deputy Leader of the House look into why we are no longer given the numbers of private ministerial offices, so that Members of Parliament such as me can do our jobs in scrutinising not only the regulations that are laid, but those that are about to be laid?

[Tom Brake]

I thank the hon. Lady for her question, which she related ingeniously to the issue of statutory instruments. I have heard her concerns and will ensure she gets a written response to her question.

High Speed Rail

Ann Coffey Excerpts

Monday 28th January 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr McLoughlin]

When carrying out these big projects, there will always be the problem of inconvenience caused during the period of construction, and I hear what the hon. Gentleman says. We will work with local communities to try to ensure that we minimise the impact. I am glad that the area he mentions is to be tunnelled; a lot of colleagues would wish that more of the route was tunnelled.

[Ann Coffey (Stockport) (Lab)]

I support this announcement, but it is estimated that it could take up to 20 years to build the line to Manchester. Will the Secretary of State assure me that in the meantime priority is given to making sure that the west coast main line gets the investment needed to improve the current line from London to Manchester, including upgrading Stockport station?

[Mr McLoughlin]

The hon. Lady is consistent, if nothing else can be said about the points that she makes; I had already anticipated the question before she had finished asking it. Yes, money is continuing to be spent on the west coast main line. I will look into the position with her local station, as I promised to last time she asked me a question. I failed to write to her then, and I will certainly do so this time.

West Coast Main Line

Ann Coffey Excerpts

Monday 29th October 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr McLoughlin]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend. Requests for improved services often come my way whenever I appear at the Dispatch Box. That shows, to a degree, the importance of the rail industry to all our constituents and the demand that exists whereby people will use a service if it is available, so I take his representations very seriously. As for nationalisation, the railways could have been nationalised by the previous Government—they were in power for 13 years—and they decided not to do so, for very good reason.

[Ann Coffey (Stockport) (Lab)]

I know that the Secretary of State is aware of the urgent need for improvements to Stockport station, so will he tell me whether capital projects are to be included in the interim agreement?

[Mr McLoughlin]

I cannot yet go into the full details of what will be in the interim two-year agreement. However, the hon. Lady has made the case for Stockport station not just today but on other occasions, and, knowing her, I have the feeling that she will continue to do so every time I appear at the Dispatch Box.

West Coast Main Line

Ann Coffey Excerpts

Monday 15th October 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr McLoughlin]

I am not wedded to a broken system; I just look at the reassurances that previous Ministers gave on improvements to the railways since the present franchise system came into operation.

[Ann Coffey (Stockport) (Lab)]

I am very concerned that there will now be a long hiatus in investment in the west coast main line. Will the Secretary of State talk to Virgin about making some money available for long overdue improvements to Stockport station, which were offered by FirstGroup? Alternatively, perhaps he could find some cash from his departmental budget? It seems unlikely that those improvements will happen any time soon.

[Mr McLoughlin]

I understand that the hon. Lady wants improvements made to her station and I will consider carefully what she has said, but I am not sure that there is any spare money in the Department.

Oral Answers to Questions

Ann Coffey Excerpts

Thursday 15th September 2011 Commons Chamber

[Ann Coffey (Stockport) (Lab)]

One resource identified in the action plan to end violence against women and girls is participatory local budgeting. The plan states that Stockport is to have this from March 2011. However, Stockport has been doing local participatory budgeting for three years. Will the Minister clarify whether there will be additional funding, as is implied in the action plan?

[Lynne Featherstone]

My understanding is that there will be, but I will check that and write to the hon. Lady to confirm it.

Sustainable Transport

Ann Coffey Excerpts

Wednesday 19th January 2011 Commons Chamber

[Norman Baker]

It is often the roadblocks, as my hon. Friend puts it, the pinch points, that cause disruption to the transport system, congestion and unnecessary carbon emissions. It is certainly important to deal with such issues, and the fund that I am announcing today is well designed to do that. Of course, I will be happy to meet her and her colleagues.

[Ann Coffey (Stockport) (Lab)]

Will the Minister be a little more specific and say in what way his policy will improve bus services in Greater Manchester and make them more responsive to my constituents’ needs?