Thursday Volume 567 12 September 2013 No. 49 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Thursday 12 September 2013 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2013 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 1137 12 SEPTEMBER 2013 1138 infrastructure and the rest of the railway network. It is House of Commons essential that we carry on investing in rail services in other parts of the country and, over the next spending Thursday 12 September 2013 review, Network Rail plans to spend some £37.5 billion on the current railway network. The House met at half-past Nine o’clock Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham) (Con): PRAYERS The Secretary of State was forced this week to launch a so-called fightback with a piece of expensive and self- justifying research from KPMG on HS2, because he [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] has lost control of the budget and of the arguments, including the need to travel at speeds in excess of 250 mph. It is about time that we replaced HS2 with a Oral Answers to Questions thoroughly researched and prepared integrated transport strategy for all regions, including Wales, and covering air, road, rail and communications links. When will he TRANSPORT cancel that project and produce a decent overall strategy? Mr McLoughlin: I am not sure I was forced to do The Secretary of State was asked— anything, but I was asked by the Public Accounts High Speed 2 Committee to do proper research and to back up the case for HS2. I dare say that if yesterday’s report had 1. Susan Elan Jones (Clwyd South) (Lab): What the come out negative, all those people who are against HS2 current budget is for High Speed 2. [900267] would have been shouting it from the rooftops. Because it came out positive, they are opposed to it. 5. Mrs Siân C. James (Swansea East) (Lab): What the current budget is for High Speed 2. [900272] Mr Alan Reid (Argyll and Bute) (LD): The KPMG The Secretary of State for Transport (Mr Patrick report showed that every region of Britain will benefit McLoughlin): The spending round of 2013 set a long-term from plans for HS2 to go as far as Leeds and Manchester, budget for the delivery of HS2 of £42.6 billion. That is but Scotland and the north of England would benefit made up of £21.4 billion for phase 1 and £21.2 billion even more if the lines extended to Glasgow, Edinburgh for phase 2. The budget includes significant contingency and Newcastle. How are the Secretary of State’s discussions provision of £14.4 billion. That budget is being tightly with the Scottish Government progressing in that regard? monitored by the Government and we are confident that the railway will be delivered for less than that Mr McLoughlin: I am prepared to have the meetings figure. I have set HS2 Ltd a “target price” for phase 1 of with the Scottish Government. I announced last October £17.1 billion. that we would be looking to take the line to Scotland. That work is ongoing. Susan Elan Jones: France, Germany, Japan and many other countries have benefited hugely from their high-speed Mrs Louise Ellman (Liverpool, Riverside) (Lab/Co-op): rail links, and many of us are fed up with a largely The Secretary of State referred to funds to be invested London-based commentariat that is seeking to stop a by Network Rail in the classic lines. Will he give an north-south high-speed rail link for this country, but assurance that, in addition, there will be sufficient funds does the Secretary of State agree that, if we are to build to invest in new passenger and freight services on lines a better consensus, it is extremely important that the freed by the development of HS2? budget figures he referred to will be both monitored and met? Mr McLoughlin: Indeed. The hon. Lady who chairs the Transport Committee embarks on an important Mr McLoughlin: I completely agree with the hon. point. One key problem that any future Government Lady. We have a good record of delivering big projects will face is that of capacity on the network, as well as on time. The Crossrail scheme, which is being built at speed, and this line is also very much about capacity. If the moment, involves more than £14 billion and is the we made the improvement that some people suggest on largest construction project in Europe. It will greatly the present line, it would lead to capacity increases of enhance transport in London; it is essential, but HS2 is about 53% between London and Birmingham. HS2 will essential for the rest of the country. lead to a capacity increase of 143%. That is why it is so Mrs Siân C. James: The Secretary of State has outlined important to meet the objectives that we both have. the significant budget of the HS2 project, but what assurances can the Government give me and the people Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford) (Con): My right hon. Friend of Swansea East that they will give full consideration to says that HS2 is about capacity rather than just speed, the proposals of the Howard Davies commission and so will he instruct HS2 to cut the speed so that the route the benefits of a future high-speed rail link between can be more flexible and do less damage to dozens of Cardiff and Heathrow airport? communities along the route, including five in my constituency? Mr McLoughlin: I do not want to anticipate or prejudge what the Davies commission report will say.The commission Mr McLoughlin: I have tried to say that the case for is very important and its interim report is due by the HS2 is not just about speed and that capacity is one of end of the year. The hon. Lady makes a point about the main reasons for it. Although the reduction in 1139 Oral Answers12 SEPTEMBER 2013 Oral Answers 1140 journey time between London and Birmingham is not 4. Julian Smith (Skipton and Ripon) (Con): What huge—it will be in the region of 30 minutes—for great steps he is taking to tackle potholes on UK roads. cities in the north such as Manchester and Leeds the [900271] reduction will be very beneficial. There is not just one reason; there are many reasons for doing this project. Even if we took the line down to a lower speed limit, it The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport would not reduce the cost by much—we would be (Norman Baker): The Department for Transport is talking about 90% of the present cost, rather than providing more than £18 billion for highway maintenance 100%. for both the strategic and local road network between 2011 and 2021. That funding will help address the issue 14. [900283] Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) of potholes, which we know can cause problems for all (Lab): I agree with the right hon. Member for Chesham highway users, including cyclists. and Amersham (Mrs Gillan). Has the Secretary of State looked at an alternative integrated rail system, as Sir Tony Baldry: Last year Oxfordshire county council opposed to high-speed rail? Is there a Treasury limit on repaired 5,662 potholes, and so far this year it has spending for that project? repaired 4,719, at a cost of about £5 million. However, the way we repair potholes has not changed much over Mr McLoughlin: I have set out carefully the spending the years, so may I ask my hon. Friend what research is limit, and we have a put in place a reasonable contingency, being done to improve the way we repair roads for the based on internationally recognised figures. It is a big 21st century? contingency and I hope, as the chief executive of Network Rail said a few weeks ago, that the project could come in under the budget that the Government have allowed. Norman Baker: My hon. Friend makes a good point and I am happy to tell him that the Department has Stephen Mosley (City of Chester) (Con): The KPMG provided £6 million to the highways maintenance efficiency report this week revealed £15 billion of economic growth, programme, which is looking at best practice, optimum mainly in the main conurbations of the north. Will my techniques to keep costs down, and the materials that right hon. Friend confirm that not just those main will be used. Two pothole reviews published in 2012 and conurbations but smaller towns and cities such as Chester 2013 take those matters forward, but getting best value will benefit from new and increased services because of is absolutely important. increased capacity on the west coast main line? Mr McLoughlin: My hon. Friend is absolutely right: Julian Smith (Skipton and Ripon) (Con): The Secretary this does add to the capacity and more services. Since I of State took his life into his hands in my constituency have been Secretary of State for Transport, I have over the summer by getting on his bike, and saw at first noticed that my colleagues on both the Opposition and hand the risks of the pothole crisis across north Yorkshire. Government Benches always press for more and better Will the Minister meet me to discuss the issue of potholes, services. If we are to adapt that and celebrate the because for rural areas it is the No. 1 transport issue? success of railway travel, which in this country has gone from 750 million passenger journeys a year to 1.5 billion, Norman Baker: I am happy to meet any hon.