Rail Freight

Tony Vaughan Excerpts

Wednesday 3rd June 2026 Westminster Hall

[Lisa Smart]

I agree with the hon. Gentleman’s point about the positive impact that good rail freight infrastructure can have on passengers. We should not look at the two as separate entities; they work together and use some of the same infrastructure. More rail freight means fewer wagons on the road, so it is better for all passengers, whether in cars, wagons or on the railway.

As has been shown, this goes beyond my local area. Rail freight prevents 7 million HGV journeys every year across our nation, according to the Rail Freight Group. That means less wear on our roads, because HGVs cause disproportionately more damage to road surfaces than any other vehicle. The cost of that falls on all of us as taxpayers. It also means less congestion on already overstretched routes, resulting in cleaner air in the towns and villages that lorries would otherwise have passed through.

Rail freight can deliver real benefits to real communities, and we are still not using it nearly enough. According to independent research by Deloitte, rail freight currently contributes £2.5 billion in economic and social value to the country each year. Yet, according to the Rail Freight Group, the UK moves only about 7% of its freight by rail, which is less than half of the European average of 19%.

[Tony Vaughan (Folkestone and Hythe) (Lab)]

On continental freight, the hon. Member mentioned volumes coming from the European Union. In my constituency, we have so much traffic coming in and out of Eurotunnel that there is not the gauge capacity for trains to come all the way through, so they have to offload and reload. Does she agree that the Government should support the enhancement of that gauge capacity, so that trucks can come all the way through, increasing demand and capacity for the whole system?

[Lisa Smart]

I am grateful for the hon. and learned Member’s insight based on his local understanding, and I strongly agree. For the Government to look at the whole of our rail infrastructure, not just that sitting on these islands, would be good for our economy, our environment and how we relate to our European neighbours and partners. We are moving more goods than ever across the country but the share going by rail is barely shifting, and we are falling further behind our European neighbours.

Middle East: Economic Update

Tony Vaughan Excerpts

Monday 9th March 2026 Commons Chamber

[Rachel Reeves]

It is important to understand the extent of the impacts on Northern Ireland. When we made the announcement in the Budget, we made money available for Northern Ireland to have its own scheme, recognising the slightly different energy market there. The Financial Secretary to the Treasury, who is leading on this work at the Treasury, will meet his opposite numbers in the Northern Ireland Executive to ensure that we understand the challenges there and what we can do to best support people.

[Tony Vaughan (Folkestone and Hythe) (Lab)]

I thank the Chancellor for her statement, which underlines the importance of new nuclear to boost our energy security. Many of us who back new nuclear also care deeply about nature. Dungeness in my constituency is both a nationally important habitat site and a vital location for new nuclear. Does the Chancellor agree that we urgently need a reformed framework for habitat protection—along the lines proposed by the Fingleton review—so that we can safeguard the environment and welcome new nuclear back to places such as Dungeness?

[Rachel Reeves]

I thank my hon. Friend for his pragmatic approach. We will be responding to Fingleton in the next few days and then legislating as quickly as possible to make it cheaper and quicker to build the energy infrastructure that we know we need.

UK-China Economic and Financial Dialogue

Tony Vaughan Excerpts

Tuesday 14th January 2025 Commons Chamber

[Rachel Reeves]

We have committed to having just one Budget a year to provide businesses with the certainty they need to invest, so we will have an update from the Office for Budget Responsibility in March. I also give the commitment that, as I have already said, the fiscal rules mean we will balance day-to-day spending with tax receipts, and we will get debt down as a share of GDP within the forecast period. We will continue at all times to meet those fiscal rules.

[Tony Vaughan (Folkestone and Hythe) (Lab)]

I congratulate the Chancellor on unlocking £1 billion of value for the UK economy that would not have been unlocked if she had not gone to China. However, does she agree that the Government’s much-needed decision to thaw UK-China relations is now reaping dividends while also allowing us to press China on difficult issues, including human rights and labour standards?

[Rachel Reeves]

My hon. Friend is exactly right. We managed to secure tangible benefits for the UK economy and British exporters. At the same time, we were able to raise difficult issues that we would not have been able to raise if we were not engaged. That is the benefit of engagement: we get the economic gains and we can raise those tricky issues.