Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Chris Grayling and Graham P Jones

Thursday 5th July 2018 Commons Chamber

[Chris Grayling]

I expect that we will complete plans for airspace modernisation over the coming months. There will be a rolling programme in the early 2020s, and I expect details of that plan to be made clear, probably in 2019.

[Graham P. Jones (Hyndburn) (Lab)]

4. What assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the M65 from Colne to Keighley.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Chris Grayling and Graham P Jones

Thursday 24th May 2018 Commons Chamber

[Chris Grayling]

I have now got back the responses to the consultation, and I am carefully considering my response to them. I give my hon. Friend an assurance that I have a fairly clear message from the people who responded, and I will take that view very carefully into account in how I take this forward.

[Graham P. Jones (Hyndburn) (Lab)]

When will the Government stand up for small towns in the shires of this country? While the cities get new trains and powers over bus services, the small towns in the heartlands, such as Lancashire, get nothing. This Government do not seem to care about small towns.

[Chris Grayling]

It is nice to finish with a degree of hokum from the Opposition. Lancashire has benefited, for example, from the Heysham relief road—connecting two smaller centres in a way that is absolutely vital if we are to unlock parts of the economy—and, starting later this year, all the small towns in Lancashire are getting new trains. Once we have bedded in the timetable and overcome these infuriating problems, the Northern Rail franchise will deliver more services in Lancashire—and, indeed, in Copeland, where my hon. Friend the Member for Copeland (Trudy Harrison), who has now gone, had the pleasure last weekend of travelling on the west Cumbria line’s first Sunday service in decades.

East Coast Main Line

Debate between Chris Grayling and Graham P Jones

Wednesday 16th May 2018 Commons Chamber

[Graham P. Jones (Hyndburn) (Lab)]

Is the Secretary of State attributing all the problems on the east coast main line over the last few years to the franchise holders and none of them to his Department and him?

[Chris Grayling]

I attribute the problems on that line to two things: first, an unrealistic bid that has failed; and secondly, old rolling stock that is being replaced and an infrastructure that needs an upgrade and is going to get it. That is what has caused the operational problems—notwithstanding that, passenger satisfaction on that railway line is 92%,which I think is pretty good.