Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Howell and Danny Alexander

Tuesday 5th November 2013 Commons Chamber

[Danny Alexander]

The Government have set out various cost-benefit analyses of the project. With respect to the hon. Gentleman, what is needed in this project is not more procrastination, delay and extra reports, but a commitment in all parts of the House to get on with this north-south railway and allow economic growth in every part of the United Kingdom.

[John Howell (Henley) (Con)]

9. What recent fiscal steps he has taken to support small businesses.

Infrastructure (Financial Assistance) Bill

Debate between John Howell and Danny Alexander

Monday 17th September 2012 Commons Chamber

[Danny Alexander]

That is not my understanding of the position. In 2010, we added a little more than £2 billion in every year of the spending review to the capital headline figures set out by the previous Government. We added to that further in last year’s autumn statement by switching some money from current spending to capital spending, precisely because of the value that we ascribe to infrastructure projects.

In addition to the CBI, the proposals are supported by the British Chambers of Commerce, which said:

“Business will appreciate the pace with which the government is moving to put its new housing and infrastructure guarantees in place”.

They are supported by the National Housing Federation, which speaks for registered social landlords in this country. It said:

“This can play an important role in helping reduce development risk, boost returns and attract investors once the development is complete.”

[John Howell (Henley) (Con)]

I wonder whether my right hon. Friend has seen the survey that was published today by the CBI and KPMG, which shows that 97% of business leaders see the planning system as a big turn-off to allowing infrastructure to go forward.

[Danny Alexander]

I did see that survey. I note that it was conducted before the Government announced the guarantees plan. However, a subsequent snap-shot poll showed a widespread welcome from the business community for the Bill. My hon. Friend will know that we have made significant changes to the planning system, including in the announcements last week, that relate directly to the threshold for infrastructure projects. Those will allow more projects of a slightly smaller scale to go through the national process, rather than getting tied up in local processes.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Howell and Danny Alexander

Tuesday 24th January 2012 Commons Chamber

[John Howell (Henley) (Con)]

4. What progress he has made on implementation of the national infrastructure plan 2011.

[The Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Danny Alexander)]

Work on the implementation of the national infrastructure plan is now under way across Government, led by the Treasury. This month, for example, the Government have approved High Speed 2 to Birmingham and are working to resolve radar interference issues that are holding up wind farm developments. We will update the House on progress at the Budget on 21 March.

[John Howell]

Does my right hon. Friend agree that the national infrastructure plan is welcome and timely because it is about real investment in our infrastructure and because it shows that the Government are thinking for the long term, both of which will encourage co-investment in those projects?

[Danny Alexander]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The national infrastructure plan sets out a medium-term plan for £250 billion of much needed investment in this country’s infrastructure. Alongside that, we brought forward plans at the autumn statement for £6 billion of further investment in capital projects in this Parliament and announced a scheme working with pension funds to get £20 billion-worth of pension fund investment into infrastructure. Those are all the right things to ensure that in the long term, we rebalance our economy and make our infrastructure stronger.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Howell and Danny Alexander

Tuesday 8th February 2011 Commons Chamber

[Danny Alexander]

That is a very good question. The previous Government were running a structural deficit from 2001-02, with a structural deficit of 2.6% in 2007-08, the largest, as the hon. Gentleman says, in the G7 in 2007. They were deficit deniers then, they are deficit deniers now, and that is why they have no answers to the problems of our country today.

[John Howell]

My right hon. Friend will be aware that Tony Blair has said that

“from 2005 onwards Labour was insufficiently vigorous in limiting or eliminating the potential structural deficit”.

How would my right hon. Friend assess the effect of that failure on the current trend in the structural deficit?

[Danny Alexander]

Clearly, we as a Government are having to clear up the enormous mess that the previous Government left. That is why we have had to embark on some very difficult decisions on public spending and, indeed, taxation, but it is just worth listening to the OECD, which states that

“the UK was unique in its need for fiscal consolidation, because the deficit had gone completely out of control.