Oral Answers to Questions

John Bercow Excerpts

Thursday 18th January 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I always thought the hon. Member for Shipley (Philip Davies) had a substantial supply of grit all his own.

[Paula Sherriff (Dewsbury) (Lab)]

19. My constituents can barely get a seat on the train, yet this month they have had the shoulder the biggest fare increases in the country. Although Whitehall and rail bosses crow about improvements to stations such as London Bridge, can the Minister tell me how such projects will benefit passengers in northern towns like mine?

--- Later in debate ---

[Jesse Norman]

As my right hon. Friend will know, the first debate I ever secured in the House of Commons was on car parking charges at Hereford Hospital—[Interruption.]

[Mr Speaker]

Will the Minister face the House, and then everybody can hear?

[Jesse Norman]

I apologise, Mr Speaker. My first ever debate in the House was on car parking charges at Hereford Hospital, so I absolutely understand and share my right hon. Friend’s concern. I am afraid that this has been the legacy of the Labour Government’s investment in private finance initiative projects in hospitals in the period up until 2010.

--- Later in debate ---

[Chris Grayling]

Decisions on electrification do not and will not in any way impede safety improvements. We have announced a large amount of money over the next five years, and I am happy to see what we can do to move this issue on rapidly.

[Mr Speaker]

A very short question is required so, of course, I look in the direction of the right hon. Member for New Forest West (Sir Desmond Swayne).

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

Is there an end to M3 night closures?

[Jesse Norman]

As my right hon. Friend will know, these are night closures because of the protections being offered to daytime running. Upgrading of smart motorway junctions has already taken place—junctions 2 to 4 are complete, and work on junction 6 is due to complete soon. Other work on junctions 9 and 14 is planned, but it has not yet commenced.

[Mr Speaker]

Can the hon. Member for Lancaster and Fleetwood (Cat Smith) match that brevity?

[Cat Smith (Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Lab)]

The previous rail Minister agreed to meet me to discuss the reopening of the railway line to Fleetwood. Will the new Minister honour that and get Fleetwood back on track?

[The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Joseph Johnson)]

I am very happy to honour that commitment.

[Mr Speaker]

Similarly brief, the hon. Member for Walsall North (Eddie Hughes).

[Eddie Hughes (Walsall North) (Con)]

I will speak quickly. As the Minister said in his opening remarks, 2018 is the year of engineering. Will the new Minister, my fellow Brummie, say what the Government are doing to increase diversity within the engineering profession?

[Mr Speaker]

I give the hon. Gentleman permission to breathe.

[Ms Ghani]

I feel obliged to respond to a fellow Brummie. I congratulate the engineering envoy, my hon. Friend the Member for South Basildon and East Thurrock (Stephen Metcalfe), who I believe is sitting in the Gallery. The Government have launched the Year of Engineering—I did that myself on Monday at Crossrail—and we are particularly keen to open up engineering as a career for young girls and boys, especially those from black and Asian ethnic minorities. I urge Members to become ambassadors for science, technology, engineering and maths in their constituencies if they have not already done so.