Oral Answers to Questions

Kirsteen Sullivan Excerpts

Thursday 12th February 2026 Commons Chamber

[Keir Mather]

The hon. Lady asks about the case for Heathrow expansion and collecting the data in reference to that. The ANPS review will do exactly that, reflecting changes in legislation, policy and analysis since the current ANPS was designated in 2018. It will ensure that any proposed scheme for expansion at Heathrow will be consistent with air quality obligations and will contribute to economic growth across the entirety of the United Kingdom.

[Kirsteen Sullivan (Bathgate and Linlithgow) (Lab/Co-op)]

T1. If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.

[The Secretary of State for Transport (Heidi Alexander)]

This Government are ushering in a new era for our railways, with landmark legislation to set up Great British Railways making good progress in this place. Eight train operators are now run by the public for the public, with West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway services nationalised at the end of January. I am pleased to say that performance is improving. Today, rail services lost due to cancellations and strikes have more than halved compared with the heights of industrial action under the Conservatives.

Finally, last month we made a vital commitment to improving rail connectivity across the north of England. After years of being stuck in the mud under previous Governments, we will deliver Northern Powerhouse Rail, investing up to £45 billion to create a turn-up-and-go railway from Liverpool to York, with NPR services continuing on to Newcastle and Hull. No longer will the north have to endure second-rate services. Instead, we will build a railway that the whole of Britain can rely on and be proud of.

[Kirsteen Sullivan]

The airspace modernisation strategy will rationalise flightpaths last redrawn in the 1950s to cut emissions and noise. However, the community in the historical village of Blackness, in my constituency, are concerned that the opposite will happen with the plans for Edinburgh airport airspace, and that their tranquil village will bear the brunt of the disruption. Will the Minister meet my constituents to discuss their concerns at the earliest opportunity?

[Heidi Alexander]

I will ask my hon. Friend the Minister for Aviation to meet my hon. Friend to discuss her concerns, as I appreciate that this is a sensitive issue for many people. Airspace modernisation will provide huge benefits for air passengers, businesses and the UK economy, and the move to more efficient flight paths will be done in such a way as to ensure that any impacts on local communities are properly managed.