Oral Answers to Questions

Oliver Colvile Excerpts

Tuesday 16th June 2015 Commons Chamber

[Andrew Percy (Brigg and Goole) (Con)]

2. What recent steps he has taken to rebalance the economy and create a northern powerhouse.

[Oliver Colvile (Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport) (Con)]

3. What recent steps he has taken to rebalance the economy and create a northern powerhouse.

[David Morris (Morecambe and Lunesdale) (Con)]

4. What recent steps he has taken to rebalance the economy and create a northern powerhouse.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Osborne]

I can confirm to my hon. Friend that the Humber, the East Riding and northern Lincolnshire are a central part of the northern powerhouse. When we originally set out the vision of the northern powerhouse last year, we talked about the belt stretching all the way from Merseyside across to the Humber. I know about his passionate commitment to improving the flood defences in the Humber. He achieved marked success last year, but has an even more ambitious project in mind. As he knows, because of his work and that of my hon. Friend the Member for Cleethorpes (Martin Vickers), the Environment Agency is undertaking a study of that proposal.

[Oliver Colvile]

May I congratulate my right hon. Friend for turning the north into a powerhouse, but what plans does he have to ensure that Plymouth and the south-west—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. The question is about the northern powerhouse and must be confined to the northern powerhouse. We are immensely grateful.