Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government why the northern cities engaged in a programme of work looking at northern connectivity referred to in the Written Statement by Baroness Kramer on 7 July (WS 7) do not include Bradford, York, Newcastle upon Tyne and Preston.

The Government has asked Sir David Higgins to produce proposals for connecting the great northern cities. This work will look at how to bring the benefits of high speed rail to the north more quickly, as well as initial proposals for faster east-west connections – including options on route, timescales and cost – by the time of the Autumn Statement later this year.

York, Newcastle and Preston are also being looked at as part of this process. Bradford falls within the Leeds City Region and as such, connectivity issues are being examined as part of the analysis process being undertaken on the public consultation responses on Phase Two.