Oral Answers to Questions

Lucy Rigby Excerpts

Tuesday 23rd June 2026 Commons Chamber

[Matt Bishop (Forest of Dean) (Lab)]

10. What discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on potential funding for improving transport connectivity for border communities.

[The Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Lucy Rigby)]

Effective transport links are vital to the prosperity and wellbeing of people across the country, including in our border communities. We have been working closely with the Welsh Government to deliver a plan for Welsh rail, and we continue to work with devolved Governments to ensure that border communities stay connected.

[Matt Bishop]

I thank the Minister for her answer. The Forest of Dean sits on the English-Welsh border, and many of my constituents rely on cross-border transport links to access work, education and healthcare. Does she agree that improving connectivity in border communities can play a significant role in driving economic growth? What consideration is the Treasury giving to supporting investment in key cross-border transport infrastructure?

[Lucy Rigby]

Border communities rely on strong transport links, and my hon. Friend is a strong advocate for the interests of his constituency and those in the surrounding area. The Government are delivering for people in all parts of the UK, including investments that will benefit those on both sides of the English-Welsh border. That includes the investment in places like Padeswood, on the Wrexham to Liverpool line, as part of the £445 million of investment allocated for rail enhancements in Wales at the 2025 spending review.

[Tim Farron (Westmorland and Lonsdale) (LD)]

The TriLink scheme, which connects north-west England with the south of Scotland and upgrades the west coast main line—the busiest railway line in western Europe—has been deferred by this Government and their predecessors for years. This very likely contributed to the near-fatal derailment at Shap just a few months ago. Does the Minister think that the right hon. Member for Makerfield (Andy Burnham) believes that the north-west of England exists beyond the M62, and if he does, will he invest in upgrading the railway line, for the good of everyone in England and Scotland?

[Lucy Rigby]

My right hon. Friend the Member for Makerfield (Andy Burnham) will speak for himself, but I am confident that his view is that growth extends far beyond the area that the hon. Gentleman referred to. Most importantly, this Government’s approach is to ensure that growth can be generated right across the country, rather than in just a few postcodes.

[Mrs Elsie Blundell (Heywood and Middleton North) (Lab)]

11. What fiscal steps she is taking to help develop transport infrastructure in the north-west.

--- Later in debate ---

[Munira Wilson (Twickenham) (LD)]

16. What assessment she has made of the potential impact of Heathrow airport’s expansion on economic growth in regions outside London.

[The Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Lucy Rigby)]

We have been clear that Heathrow expansion needs to benefit everyone, not just London. The Department for Transport has shown that expansion would deliver UK-wide support for trade, with 40% of the estimated GDP benefits from expansion being outside London and the south-east.

[Munira Wilson]

When the Chancellor announced her support for Heathrow expansion last year, she claimed that it would deliver 0.43% GDP growth. The Heathrow expansion national policy statement snuck out last week predicts a 90% reduction in that figure to just 0.05% growth; what little growth there might be will largely be sucked out of other parts of the country, such as Birmingham and Manchester. Will she now finally admit that Heathrow expansion is not the grand growth plan she thought it was, and that it will hurt areas outside London the most?

[Lucy Rigby]

Nothing was snuck out. A third runway at Heathrow means more than 60,000 good local jobs, and more than £40 billion for the British economy. The hon. Lady’s question rather highlights the Lib Dems’ curious approach to growth. When they were in government, they decimated our economy with austerity, and now they oppose all the investment in infrastructure needed for growth. This Government are taking a wholly better approach.

[John Grady (Glasgow East) (Lab)]

17. What progress she has made on strengthening the economy since July 2024.

--- Later in debate ---

[Sarah Edwards (Tamworth) (Lab)]

T8. My constituency has been extremely lucky in getting £20 million for Glascote Heath and Stonydelph under the Pride in Place programme, which gives local people the ability to choose how the funding is to be spent. Will there be more rounds of this funding or similar schemes so that local people can be put in charge of how their money is spent?

[The Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Lucy Rigby)]

The Pride in Place programme provides £5.8 billion of support to 284 neighbourhoods right across the country, including five places in my hon. Friend’s constituency, which she does so much to advocate for. We will set out more details of further funding in the Budget.

[Harriet Cross (Gordon and Buchan) (Con)]

In my constituency, we have lost the Scotbeef abattoir and the famous Donald Russell butchers in recent months, both of which were crucial to the agricultural supply chain. Both blamed high energy costs and the increased costs of doing business, such as the huge rises in national insurance under this Government and big business rate rises under the SNP. What steps is the Treasury taking to support, not suffocate, the agricultural supply chain and other crucial elements of the farming sector?