Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the future transport needs along the north-east/south-west axis in England in relation to future air, rail and road infrastructure and inter-city and regional services, and (2) the contribution this axis could make to levelling up economies within England.

This Government is committed to ensuring that transport and infrastructure investment levels up economies across the country. The Government considers a wide range of options for transport infrastructure and services across all parts of England and will set out its plans for investment at the forthcoming spending review and in the National Infrastructure Strategy. These will build on planned investments in this particular corridor, such as the improvements to the A46 ‘Trans-Midlands Trade Corridor’ recently set out in the second Roads Investment Strategy.