Oral Answers to Questions

Theresa Villiers Excerpts

Wednesday 19th October 2016 Commons Chamber

[Guto Bebb]

I assure the hon. Gentleman, who is a keen advocate of rail links in north Wales, that the Wales Office has had discussions with the Welsh Government, with the Irish Government and, just as importantly, with the Rail Minister at Westminster.

[Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet) (Con)]

Is it not a scandal that during its 13 years in government, Labour failed to electrify a single mile of railway track in Wales?

[Mr Speaker]

That is a most interesting point, but it is not germane to the hon. Gentleman’s responsibilities. A brief sentence in response to the right hon. Lady will suffice.

--- Later in debate ---

[The Prime Minister]

The right hon. Gentleman might be aware that the Birmingham families have been encouraged to apply—I believe they have applied—to the legal aid fund for exceptional funding. That was, as I understand it, what happened after the 7/7 bombings. The Home Secretary has made clear her expectation that funding will be provided. We are waiting for the decision from the legal aid fund, and we are hopeful that it will be a positive one.

[Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet) (Con)]

Why attempt to build a new runway at Heathrow when we could deliver one at Gatwick in half the time, for half the cost and with a fraction of the environmental impact?

[The Prime Minister]

I assure my right hon. Friend that no decision has been taken on the site of airport expansion in the south-east. As she will know from her previous background, the Davies commission said that airport capacity in the south-east should be expanded and the Government accepted that argument. The Davies commission identified three sites, all of which it said would be credible and deliverable, and the Government will take a decision this month.