Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Oral Answers to Questions

Karl McCartney Excerpts
Tuesday 25th October 2016

(8 years, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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David Amess Portrait Sir David Amess (Southend West) (Con)
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7. What steps he is taking to support regional infrastructure development.

Karl McCartney Portrait Karl MᶜCartney (Lincoln) (Con)
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12. What steps he is taking to support regional infrastructure development.

Kelly Tolhurst Portrait Kelly Tolhurst (Rochester and Strood) (Con)
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14. What steps he is taking to support regional infrastructure development.

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Lord Hammond of Runnymede Portrait Mr Hammond
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My hon. Friend makes a good point. The Government recognise the ongoing growth potential of Southend. The Government’s substantial investment to date in Southend includes over £40 million through the South East local enterprise partnership growth deal and the 2014 city deal. The Government announced last year that the coastal communities fund would be extended over this Parliament. At least another £90 million of further funding is available to promote sustainable economic growth and jobs in the UK’s coastal communities. I strongly encourage Southend-on-Sea Borough Council to apply to this fund.

Karl McCartney Portrait Karl MᶜCartney
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Given my right hon. Friend’s welcome commitments on regional infrastructure and my plethora of conversations with his Cabinet colleagues, Ministers and the leader of Lincolnshire County Council over the past few days and years, will he now commit to working with us all to secure the funding for the dualling of the eastern bypass around my constituency of Lincoln, which will greatly support not only the further development of the city but the whole of Greater Lincolnshire?

Lord Hammond of Runnymede Portrait Mr Hammond
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I recognise my hon. Friend’s commitment to his preferred version of this project. Funding has been made available for the provision of the Lincoln eastern bypass, in the county council’s preferred version of single carriageway road. As my hon. Friend will know, the county council is not in favour of restarting the process from scratch and introducing further delays, so I am afraid I cannot give him any confidence that additional funding will be made available to adopt a dualling solution.