Transport Infrastructure: North England

Oral Answers to Questions — Transport – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 17 November 2016.

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Photo of Conor McGinn Conor McGinn Labour, St Helens North 12:00, 17 November 2016

What steps he is taking to improve transport infrastructure in the north of England.

Photo of Andrew Jones Andrew Jones Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Improving northern transport infrastructure is vital to the success of the northern powerhouse. The Government are committing £13 billion in transport improvements over this Parliament, and we have created Transport for the North, a partnership of key organisations to drive forward a northern transport strategy. Our announcement this week on HS2 phase 2b is further confirmation of our commitment.

Photo of Conor McGinn Conor McGinn Labour, St Helens North

We are told that HS2 will cut journey times from the north to London and therefore benefit places such as St Helens, but surely the real driver of economic growth and regeneration in the north is good transport infrastructure across the region from west to east. When will we see a commitment to, and action from the Government on, connecting our great northern cities and towns to each other, not just to London?

Photo of Andrew Jones Andrew Jones Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The action the hon. Gentleman is calling for is already under way, with the electrification of the trans-Pennine rail links, the road investments that are taking place and HS3, which we have called “northern powerhouse rail”. That project is being developed by TfN and we will be seeing its proposals early next year.

Photo of Martin Vickers Martin Vickers Conservative, Cleethorpes

Notwithstanding what the Minister has just said, when I attended the UK Major Ports Group reception on Monday evening, the port director for the Humber stressed to me how urgently needed east-west connections from Immingham and the Humber ports to Liverpool and Manchester were. He talked about trans-Pennine tunnels and so on, which are decades off, so can the Minister reassure him that action will be taken immediately?

Photo of Andrew Jones Andrew Jones Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

I can provide my hon. Friend with much reassurance. I entirely agree on the importance of connecting businesses to our key modes of transport, especially our ports. Developing the connectivity of our ports is a project being taken forward by the Minister of State, Department for Transport, my right hon. Friend Mr Hayes.

Photo of Louise Ellman Louise Ellman Chair, Transport Committee, Chair, Transport Committee

Liverpool2 has recently opened, with a new deepwater port, which raises the possibility of the whole of the north becoming an economic powerhouse. What can the Minister tell us about plans to improve freight access to ports right across the north, in an integrated approach with road and rail?

Photo of Andrew Jones Andrew Jones Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Liverpool2 development is a very exciting one, opening up the port of Liverpool to 95% of world shipping. Access to the port is, of course, part of the project being taken forward by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State.

Photo of Nigel Mills Nigel Mills Conservative, Amber Valley

Does the Minister agree it is vital for infrastructure in the north that we electrify the midland main line through the midlands and on to Sheffield on the existing timetable?

Photo of Andrew Jones Andrew Jones Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The next stage to Corby is just about to start, but my hon. Friend’s point will have been heard by the rail Minister and I will pick that up with him afterwards.

Photo of Nicholas Dakin Nicholas Dakin Opposition Whip (Commons)

What progress are the Government making on implementing their new steel procurement guidelines in relation to projects such as those in the north of England?

Photo of Andrew Jones Andrew Jones Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Ninety-five per cent. of the steel used on our railways already comes from Scunthorpe, and that is a key part of all of our procurement. We want to see British steel used in our transport infrastructure, and Scunthorpe will of course play a key part in that.

Photo of David Nuttall David Nuttall Conservative, Bury North

By the time HS2 eventually opens from Manchester Piccadilly, it will take some of my constituents, who live within Greater Manchester, longer to drive to Manchester, especially at peak times, than to travel by train from Manchester to London. What plans do the Government have to improve that?

Photo of Andrew Jones Andrew Jones Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

It is not as though HS2 is the only investment taking place in the north: more than £1.25 billion is being spent in the north-west on local transport schemes through the growth deal; £800 million-plus is being spent on north-west road schemes; and a further £1 billion is being spent on other parts of the rail network. It is HS2 plus all the other investments that makes the comprehensive transformation of transport in the north.

Photo of Lucy Powell Lucy Powell Labour/Co-operative, Manchester Central

Does the Minister agree with a group of leading north-west businesses that the gap between investment in north-west transport infrastructure and investment in London transport infrastructure is unacceptably high? Does he agree that if we were to close that gap, we could really transform the commuter services, trams and buses, and we could get the Oyster card of the north, which we so desperately need to transform our transport?

Photo of Andrew Jones Andrew Jones Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Transport investments around the country are not necessarily happening at the same pace, but I suggest to the hon. Lady that £340 million is being spent on rail in the Liverpool city region right now, and nobody could really doubt our commitment to the north after this week’s announcements on HS2.

Photo of Andy McDonald Andy McDonald Shadow Secretary of State for Transport

I do not want to prick the bubble of self-congratulation, but new analysis published yesterday by the TUC reveals that the UK ranks towards the bottom of the table of OECD countries for capital investment in important areas of economic development, and worst of all is transport. As a percentage of 2014 GPD—these are the latest figures—UK investment was the lowest ranking, in last place out of 34 countries. With pauses and unpauses, and shunting programmes off into the distant future—be it HS3, northern powerhouse rail, or whatever we want to call it—is it not time that the Government started delivering instead of continually breaking their promises?

Photo of Andrew Jones Andrew Jones Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

I remind the hon. Gentleman how we collapsed in OECD league tables under the last Labour Government, and that we are spending £13 billion on transport investment in the north during this Parliament, as I outlined earlier.