Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Wales Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Simon Burns Excerpts
Wednesday 13th January 2016

(8 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Alun Cairns Portrait Alun Cairns
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The hon. Lady should know that there were limits to the recent increases. We need to contrast that with the £3 billion that is being spent on improving rail services to and within Wales, as well as our efforts to ensure that Wales benefits from the national project of HS2 by making Crewe a central hub so that north Wales benefits too.

Simon Burns Portrait Sir Simon Burns (Chelmsford) (Con)
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Does the Minister accept that this investment will revolutionise connectivity in the valleys and on the main line to Swansea? Will he share with the House what assessments have been made of the impact it will have on job creation and passenger journeys?

Alun Cairns Portrait Alun Cairns
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My right hon. Friend makes a very important point about the economic prospects that will be brought by the significant capital investment that we are bringing forward. It is worth remembering that the last Labour Government left Wales as one of only three countries in Europe, along with Moldova and Albania, without a single mile of electrified track.