Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Oral Answers to Questions

Max Wilkinson Excerpts
Tuesday 1st July 2025

(3 days, 6 hours ago)

Commons Chamber
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Cameron Thomas Portrait Cameron Thomas (Tewkesbury) (LD)
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20. What steps she is taking to help increase economic growth in north Gloucestershire.

Max Wilkinson Portrait Max Wilkinson (Cheltenham) (LD)
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21. What steps she is taking to help increase economic growth in Gloucestershire.

Emma Reynolds Portrait The Economic Secretary to the Treasury (Emma Reynolds)
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Kick-starting economic growth in every region and nation is the No. 1 mission of our Government. As part of our new infrastructure strategy, we have allocated £725 billion to building and rebuilding bridges, roads, schools and hospitals across the country. Also, the £2.3 billion for local government transport will benefit places such as Eastleigh and Gloucestershire. In Wales, key rail routes will benefit from £445 million of investment.

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Emma Reynolds Portrait Emma Reynolds
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Defence companies are an incredibly important part of the economy, and the hon. Member will know that we are increasing defence spending to up to 2.6% by the end of this Parliament. It has only ever reached those levels before under a Labour Government.

Max Wilkinson Portrait Max Wilkinson
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The industrial strategy was right to highlight the potential for the National Cyber Innovation Centre in my constituency. If we are going to deliver that, we will need to make sure that junction 10 of the M5 is also done to enable the traffic to get around that development. This is a development of national importance. The strategic sites accelerator has also been cited by the Government. Can the Minister advise me on how areas like Liberal Democrat-run Cheltenham and Gloucestershire can access that fund?

Emma Reynolds Portrait Emma Reynolds
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I will ensure that the hon. Member gets a meeting with the relevant Transport Minister, but I hope that he is as excited as I am about the £1 billion that we are investing in the state-of-the-art Golden Valley development, which will create 12,000 high-skilled jobs and 3,700 new homes, and is close to the GCHQ headquarters in Cheltenham. I am sure that that is something he will welcome.