Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Mark Spencer and Danny Alexander

Tuesday 9th December 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Mark Spencer (Sherwood) (Con)]

12. What fiscal steps he is taking to encourage investment in infrastructure.

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

Mr Speaker, the Chancellor of the Exchequer is at an ECOFIN council meeting today.

The Government have made huge progress in delivering the infrastructure that the UK needs, establishing the first ever national infrastructure plan, which now shows that more than 2,500 projects have been completed since 2010. West Yorkshire continues to benefit as part of this plan, which includes the M62 smart motorway westward extension—the first new trans-Pennine road capacity since 1971. As part of the city deal, a combined west Yorkshire authority is taking forward a package of investments in transport worth up to £1.6 billion over 15 years.

--- Later in debate ---

[Danny Alexander]

My hon. Friend is right to raise this issue, which is raised by Members of Parliament and constituents from across the Northern Rail and TransPennine Express franchise areas. I can confirm that in the autumn statement we set out some changes that we would make to those two franchises. The packages for the new franchises will include a substantial package of upgrades, including new services and modern trains in order to phase out the outdated Pacer trains, which have also been raised with us under the Deputy Prime Minister’s Northern Futures programme.

[Mr Spencer]

If north Nottinghamshire’s coalfields are to feel the success of HS2, connectivity will be key. Will the Chief Secretary assure the House that once we have pulled together a bid for the Robin Hood extension to the villages of Ollerton and Edwinstowe, capital will be made available?

[Danny Alexander]

I am well aware of the importance of this connection to my hon. Friend and to other Members of Parliament in the area. As he will be aware, the east midlands has already benefited from investment of approximately £70 million to improve line speeds on the midland main line up to 125 miles per hour. Further electrification is due to be extended to Nottingham by 2019. A decision on the Robin Hood line is a matter for the local authority, but we would certainly look on the idea favourably.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Mark Spencer and Danny Alexander

Tuesday 24th April 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Mark Spencer (Sherwood) (Con)]

T9. Can the Chancellor tell me how many of my constituents will benefit from the lifting of the personal tax threshold?

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

Information is not available at constituency level, but I can confirm that for the east midlands government region 1.7 million people will benefit in 2013-14 from the largest ever increase in the personal allowance, which was announced in the Budget. Some 152,000 people will have been taken out of tax altogether in the east midlands by the policies of this Government.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Mark Spencer and Danny Alexander

Tuesday 10th May 2011 Commons Chamber

[Danny Alexander]

The vast majority of people on low and middle incomes will benefit from the income tax cuts that will result from the raising of the income tax threshold by £1,000. For families with children, we have increased the child element of child tax credit by £180 above indexation. I agree with the shadow Chancellor, who admitted on the BBC shortly after the Budget that

“only the majority of families”

would benefit from those moves.

[Mr Mark Spencer (Sherwood) (Con)]

Does the Chief Secretary share my desire to see a welfare system in which hard-working families are better off than those who choose not to work? Does he agree that, as soon as we can afford it, we should enable as many as possible of those hard-working families to benefit from the lifting of the tax threshold?

[Danny Alexander]

I agree wholeheartedly. That is why we have set ourselves the agenda of both reforming the welfare system and lifting the income tax threshold to £10,000, which will significantly benefit millions of people on low and middle incomes.