High Speed 2 Debate

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Department: Department for Transport

High Speed 2

Tonia Antoniazzi Excerpts
Monday 18th September 2023

(1 year, 2 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Richard Holden Portrait Mr Holden
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I thank my right hon. Friend for his comments—he has always been a champion of our road network, and now he is a champion of our rail network as well. I will certainly take his thoughts back to the Department.

Tonia Antoniazzi Portrait Tonia Antoniazzi (Gower) (Lab)
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I used to live in Wigan in the north-west of England, and I am very disappointed for my family and friends who are still there that this project is not going ahead—disappointed, like the people in Swansea are disappointed that the electrification never got to Swansea. HS2 is an England-only project, so will the Minister stop talking down the Welsh Labour Government and give us what we are due?

Richard Holden Portrait Mr Holden
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I do not need to talk down the Welsh Labour Government; they do it themselves. They talk down Wales constantly. They have introduced 20 mph speed limits costing tens of millions of pounds a year to the local economy. They are doing no road building—no M4, no Llanymynech bypass, nothing invested in the road network. The Welsh Labour Government have been in office for 25 years. They are not even delivering a “get around for £2” bus fare like we are doing in England.