Oral Answers to Questions

Richard Fuller Excerpts

Thursday 24th June 2021 Commons Chamber

[Mohammad Yasin (Bedford) (Lab)]

What recent discussions he has had with transport authorities on the progress of the East West Rail consultation.

[Richard Fuller (North East Bedfordshire) (Con)]

What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the 2019 East West Rail route consultation.

[The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Chris Heaton-Harris)]

The East West Railway Company will consider the 2021 consultation responses. The 2019 consultation met open and fair consultation standards.

--- Later in debate ---

[Chris Heaton-Harris]

I assure the hon. Gentleman that this is a non-statutory consultation. It is a consultation where we really do want to listen to the opinions of people affected across the route of East West Rail, and we will most certainly take into account his representations here today.

[Richard Fuller]

Many of my constituents are appalled at the environmental damage that the East West Rail route will cause across Bedfordshire, and baffled that this 21st-century project will use a 19th-century fuel. Will my hon. Friend please look again at the environmental considerations that East West Rail has undertaken and bring them up to scratch?

[Chris Heaton-Harris]

I thank my hon. Friend for the pragmatic and dedicated campaign that he is running on behalf of his constituents and others on this issue. I know that he has encouraged his constituents to have their say in the recent consultation, and I thank him for that too. We are committed to decarbonising our railways, and East West Rail will continue to assess the potential environmental effects as part of the route alignment development work. An environmental impact assessment will be undertaken and an environmental statement submitted when the development consent order application is made to the Planning Inspectorate.