Oral Answers to Questions

Imran Hussain Excerpts

Thursday 4th November 2021 Commons Chamber

[Grant Shapps]

The hon. Lady is absolutely right. I should point out that the competition has not been launched yet, but I am very impressed by the extent to which the whole House is in favour of their areas. York, of course, will have a very good bid. There is a serious point to this, which is that it is important we have the right HQ for Great British Railways, as we bring the entire network together. I am sure that York, as well as many other towns and cities, will have an excellent case to make.

[Imran Hussain (Bradford East) (Lab)]

2. What recent assessment he has made of the potential effect of his policies on rail investment in the north of England on the Government’s levelling up agenda.

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

Investing £29 billion in transport across the north since 2010 has had a hugely positive impact on levelling up.

[Imran Hussain]

Building Northern Powerhouse Rail in full with a stop in Bradford city centre will help to transform Bradford’s economy and draw much-needed jobs and investment into the district, yet the Government are now believed to be scrapping the plans for NPR. Will the Minister give me some certainty today and either commit to the plan, or admit that the reality is that the Government have no intention of delivering real, transformative change to the economy and lives of people in West Yorkshire?

[Andrew Stephenson]

The hon. Gentleman will know that I know Bradford well, as I represent a constituency just down the road, on the sunny side of the hills. The Government are committed to supporting the aspirations of local leaders across West Yorkshire. We recognise that Bradford is an important economic centre in the north, with a growing and young population. We continue to look at the evidence for building a new station in Bradford, and decisions, as he knows, will be outlined in the integrated rail plan in due course.