High-speed Rail

Baroness Chapman of Darlington Excerpts

Monday 24th March 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr McLoughlin]

Surprisingly, my hon. Friend is the first Member today to mention locating the skills academy in his region. That is probably because other Members have been asking questions on the details and might have felt that they would be testing your patience, Mr Speaker, if they also made a bid for the academy. The skills academy is essential to getting the message across to young people that engineering and the railways offer good opportunities for them in the long term.

[Jenny Chapman (Darlington) (Lab)]

My constituency of Darlington is the indisputable birthplace of the railways—I do not think there are any Members for Stockton present—and my constituents currently enjoy a very good service to London. They are delighted that people in Leeds will soon be able to enjoy a good service too, but are concerned that that must not be at the expense of investment in the east coast main line. Will the Secretary of State commit to that not being the case?

[Mr McLoughlin]

Indeed I will. We are committed to providing brand new rolling stock for the east coast main line: one of the biggest orders placed for the railways has been signed off by the Government. I am delighted we have done that.