Flooding

Jackie Doyle-Price Excerpts
Monday 6th January 2014

(10 years, 11 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Owen Paterson Portrait Mr Paterson
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The hon. Gentleman raises an interesting point, and probably the appropriate route is for him to write to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales, who liaises with the Welsh Government and with the Treasury here in Westminster.

Jackie Doyle-Price Portrait Jackie Doyle-Price (Thurrock) (Con)
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My right hon. Friend referred to the transport disruption caused by the weather conditions, and I should advise him that high winds have led to the closure of the Dartford-Thurrock bridge on three occasions during this period. Will he ensure that Cobra reviews the resilience of the road network on such occasions, so that that can inform future transport investment decisions?

Owen Paterson Portrait Mr Paterson
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Obviously, we had Department for Transport Ministers at every Cobra meeting. It is safe to say that, generally, the strategic road network worked extremely well, but my hon. Friend mentions high-profile routes that are exposed to winds, and my colleagues in the DFT will be examining that as part of the review.