Oral Answers to Questions

Philip Davies Excerpts

Thursday 19th April 2018 Commons Chamber

[Joseph Johnson]

Scotland will receive significantly greater resources in the next control period between 2019 and 2024 than it has in any period in this country’s history.

[Philip Davies (Shipley) (Con)]

5. If his Department will fund an eastern bypass for Shipley.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Jesse Norman)]

Top o’ the morning to you, Mr Speaker. The Government have allocated significant resources to west Yorkshire for local transport schemes, including £781 million over 30 years from local growth funding and other sources, but Bradford Council has not yet brought forward that scheme for funding. Our consultation on the major roads network, which could provide another funding route for such schemes, has recently closed. We will respond to the consultation in due course.

[Philip Davies]

May I place on record my thanks to the Secretary of State for the interest he has shown in developing a Shipley eastern bypass, especially when he visited the area last year? That was in sharp contrast to Bradford Council, which has shown zero interest in developing such a bypass, despite it being much needed by local residents. The council has not even come up with the costs of development that the Secretary of State asked for more than four months ago. Will the Minister not only develop a bypass for Shipley, but bypass Bradford Council so that we can crack on with a scheme that is much needed by the local economy and residents?

[Jesse Norman]

As my hon. Friend says, this scheme potentially offers relief from congestion, better local access and better connectivity to Leeds-Bradford airport, and we are very interested to see it proceed.