Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord McLoughlin and Jeremy Lefroy

Monday 19th March 2018 Commons Chamber

[Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford) (Con)]

4. What steps his Department is taking to promote apprenticeships.

[Sir Patrick McLoughlin (Derbyshire Dales) (Con)]

11. What steps his Department is taking to promote apprenticeships.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord McLoughlin and Jeremy Lefroy

Thursday 28th January 2016 Commons Chamber

[Mr McLoughlin]

The simple fact is that from day one I see HS2 serving areas wider than just those in which it is built. When we start the service from Birmingham, it will be possible to link with conventional rail routes, rather as high-speed trains currently run from St Pancras to Ashford and then beyond. I hope that the northern parts of the United Kingdom will be served by HS2 straightaway.

[Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford) (Con)]

When the plans were put forward in November, they included none of the proposals for mitigation in my constituency that I and my constituents had put forward. Will my right hon. Friend give me an assurance that those proposals will continue to be looked at throughout the passage of the Bill?

[Mr McLoughlin]

Indeed. When we bring forward the Bill, my hon. Friend and his constituents will have every opportunity to make their case, including throughout its consideration in Committee.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord McLoughlin and Jeremy Lefroy

Thursday 10th December 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Ah! The hon. Member for Stafford (Jeremy Lefroy) is looking as happy as ever, doubtless celebrating Arsenal’s quite outstanding victory last night.

[Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford) (Con)]

As no doubt you are, Mr Speaker.

The Secretary of State has already mentioned visiting Stafford, no doubt to see the work at Norton Bridge, excellently undertaken by Network Rail. With the advance of the first stage of phase 2 of HS2, there is the question of the impact on infrastructure, particularly on roads in the area around Stafford and mid-Staffordshire. Will he kindly meet me to discuss that?

[Mr McLoughlin]

I am more than happy to meet my hon. Friend. As I said, we are investing a huge amount in infrastructure. Having been in Stafford only a few a weeks ago, I know about the problems he refers to.

High Speed 2

Debate between Lord McLoughlin and Jeremy Lefroy

Monday 30th November 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr McLoughlin]

All these points need to be considered, but I think it essential for Stoke-on-Trent to benefit from HS2, along with the whole area of north Staffordshire and the southern part of Cheshire. It is a very important area, and we need to ensure that it has the necessary connectivity. Any other issues of connectivity that can be dealt with during the planning process should also be considered.

[Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford) (Con)]

I entirely endorse the comments of the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent Central (Tristram Hunt). It is vital for Stoke-on-Trent—and, indeed, Stafford—to have that connectivity. I welcome the Secretary of State’s comments about a generous compensation scheme; it needs to be both generous and swift. May I ask him, however, whether there will be opportunities to look again at the alignment, or at least the elevation, of the route through my constituency, given that every single point that we have made has been disregarded?

[Mr McLoughlin]

What I have announced today is a line extension of 37 miles between Fradley in the west midlands and Crewe. Of those 37 miles, 1.1 miles consist of three tunnels, and there will also be 4 miles of viaduct. Of course I am always willing to listen to representations from my hon. Friend and others who wish to make them, and once the Bill has been published, people will be able to petition as well.

Aviation Security

Debate between Lord McLoughlin and Jeremy Lefroy

Thursday 5th November 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr McLoughlin]

We do not give any such advice without having due cause to do so. We consider all the different streams of information that we get and feed them into our decision-making process—of that, the hon. Lady can be certain. These decisions are not taken lightly. They worry the people who are in the resorts, and they worry their families who are here, but it is right that we should take them if we feel that it is necessary to do so.

[Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford) (Con)]

May I associate myself with the sympathy expressed by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State? I should also like to thank him and his colleagues for the action that they have taken. He talked earlier about looking for and pointing out cracks in the security at airports around the world, which is extremely important, but will he also commit to working with our friends and allies around the world to ensure that, when we do see those cracks, we take action proactively rather than waiting until these tragic incidents happen before doing anything?

[Mr McLoughlin]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and I have no doubt about the importance of trade to these countries. I can confirm that we do what he has outlined; we are in constant talks with our ambassadors and the like, as they, in turn, are with the Governments in those countries. If we have concerns, it is right that we flag them up.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord McLoughlin and Jeremy Lefroy

Thursday 22nd January 2015 Commons Chamber

[Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford) (Con)]

Will my right hon. Friend work with Staffordshire county council to tackle the long-term congestion problems in and around Stafford that are caused by, among many reasons, diversions from the M6 when it is blocked?

[Mr McLoughlin]

As a former member of Staffordshire county council, I am certainly content to work with that excellent county council to see whether we can address some of the problems to which my hon. Friend has referred.

Rail Network (Disruption)

Debate between Lord McLoughlin and Jeremy Lefroy

Monday 5th January 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr McLoughlin]

I do not know if that is a spending commitment that will be matched by those on the Opposition Front Bench. It is no good complaining about the level of investment taking place and then saying that somehow there is a bigger pot of money available to subsidise or support the rail industry. That is just not practicable.

[Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford) (Con)]

I pay tribute to the Network Rail workers and contractors who performed such excellent work on the major renovation at Norton Bridge in Staffordshire, with the new flyover of the west coast main line, but will my right hon. Friend consider what more can be done to help travellers to complete disrupted rail journeys? Often, they find themselves in difficult places at 10 o’clock at night and cannot make the last leg of their journey. I believe that Network Rail has a responsibility in such circumstances. I had to go to Derby to pick up relatives and bring them back to Staffordshire, and as much as I love Derbyshire, I prefer to be in Staffordshire for Christmas.

[Mr McLoughlin]

I am pleased to hear that my hon. Friend loves Derbyshire. That may be a feeling the hon. Member for Bolsover (Mr Skinner) and I share with him. I would point out that, as he rightly says, the major bottleneck at Stafford and Norton Bridge has now been unblocked, enabling faster, more frequent and reliable services for passengers. Engineers carried out essential bridge and track work at Norton Bridge and renewed the signals and overhead wires at Stafford, forming a key part of an overall project costing some £250 million. Although my hon. Friend did suffer some inconvenience, I hope the benefits of the overall project will be longer lasting.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord McLoughlin and Jeremy Lefroy

Thursday 8th May 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr McLoughlin]

It will be either one of those.

[Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford) (Con)]

T10. Does my right hon. Friend agree that the welcome news about the heavy goods vehicle levy shows that this was a long overdue reform that will create a level playing field for UK hauliers?

[Mr McLoughlin]

The levy has made a remarkable difference. It sends a positive message to foreign hauliers that if they come to this country they have to make a contribution to the cost of maintaining the road network. I am very pleased that we have been able to do this. It has been warmly welcomed by the freight industry in this country.

Flooding: Transport Disruption

Debate between Lord McLoughlin and Jeremy Lefroy

Thursday 13th February 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr McLoughlin]

I am very pleased to say that the Government will be electrifying the whole of the line to Sheffield, which has been called for for a very long time. The electrification of our railways—we are committed to electrifying more than 800 miles in the next control period between 2014 and 2019—is very important for the long-term future of the railways in this country.

[Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford) (Con)]

My right hon. Friend is absolutely right to mention resilience and the importance of building that into any future lines. We have world-class tunnelling expertise from Crossrail, so can we ensure that far more of our rail lines are put in tunnels rather than deep cuttings? Earlier, he mentioned Shugborough tunnel in my constituency, which was put there to ensure that local residents—particularly, I believe, the Earl of Lichfield—were not disturbed by the line.

[Mr McLoughlin]

I cannot think what other tunnelling my hon. Friend might have in mind. Next year, we will see the completion of tunnelling for Crossrail, which has been a substantial investment in the rail infrastructure of this country.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord McLoughlin and Jeremy Lefroy

Thursday 7th November 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr McLoughlin]

The important thing is that there will be a connection between HS1 and HS2. That will allow direct access for trips right through Europe from places that at present do not have those connections. That is important. We believe the three trains per hour that will be able to go directly from Birmingham, Manchester or Leeds to Paris or Brussels or other European destinations is a very positive move.

[Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford) (Con)]

As my right hon. Friend knows, the preferred route for HS2 phase 2 goes straight through the village of Hopton in my constituency, as well as Ingestre, Yarlet and Marston and close by to Great Harwood. What measures can HS2 take to mitigate the effects on these communities, either through extra tunnelling or realignment of the route?

[Mr McLoughlin]

What I said to my hon. Friend the Member for Lichfield (Michael Fabricant) in my original answer was that the consultation for phase 2 is still ongoing and it would be wrong of me at this stage to pre-empt it. I know that my hon. Friend the Member for Stafford (Jeremy Lefroy) will be making strong representations through the consultation process, and I will consider them in due course.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord McLoughlin and Jeremy Lefroy

Thursday 12th September 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr McLoughlin]

Indeed. The hon. Lady who chairs the Transport Committee embarks on an important point. One key problem that any future Government will face is that of capacity on the network, as well as speed, and this line is also very much about capacity. If we made the improvement that some people suggest on the present line, it would lead to capacity increases of about 53% between London and Birmingham. HS2 will lead to a capacity increase of 143%. That is why it is so important to meet the objectives that we both have.

[Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford) (Con)]

My right hon. Friend says that HS2 is about capacity rather than just speed, so will he instruct HS2 to cut the speed so that the route can be more flexible and do less damage to dozens of communities along the route, including five in my constituency?

[Mr McLoughlin]

I have tried to say that the case for HS2 is not just about speed and that capacity is one of the main reasons for it. Although the reduction in journey time between London and Birmingham is not huge—it will be in the region of 30 minutes—for great cities in the north such as Manchester and Leeds the 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 would not reduce the cost by much—we would be talking about 90% of the present cost, rather than 100%.

High Speed Rail

Debate between Lord McLoughlin and Jeremy Lefroy

Monday 28th January 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr McLoughlin]

The hon. Gentleman says that that would unite the House in a more cohesive way, but it is fairly united for such a controversial subject, as has been clear from the exchanges so far. As I have said, the proposals to go from north to south would mean further delay, and I point out that the first part of the route was actually published by the previous Government, who also thought that the right way to go was from London to Birmingham in the first instance.

[Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford) (Con)]

I thank the Secretary of State for his announcement. It is vital that the best possible mitigation, including some realignment, is offered to those of my constituents who will be affected by the route. If HS2 is to bring jobs and prosperity, as he desires, to the wider west midlands region, a stop on the route is required in Staffordshire. May I ask him to take that fully into account?

[Mr McLoughlin]

I certainly will. My hon. Friend makes a valid point. The route goes substantially through his constituency and areas that are not near motorway corridors or the like, and I will certainly look at his representations.

West Coast Main Line

Debate between Lord McLoughlin and Jeremy Lefroy

Monday 29th October 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr McLoughlin]

I cannot yet go into the full details of what will be in the interim two-year agreement. However, the hon. Lady has made the case for Stockport station not just today but on other occasions, and, knowing her, I have the feeling that she will continue to do so every time I appear at the Dispatch Box.

[Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford) (Con)]

Stafford station is to receive a welcome £3 million upgrade, and my constituents are looking forward to several other improvements in fares and services, particularly—here is another bid for my right hon. Friend—later departures from London and Liverpool in the evening. Can he confirm whether these improvements will be possible under the two shorter franchises?

[Mr McLoughlin]

I am very pleased to hear that my hon. Friend’s station is being improved. I should like to point out that Derby station is being improved as well, but that was agreed some time before I arrived at the Department. On his request for further services to Stafford station, which I know well, I will certainly try to ensure that when the enhanced services are negotiated, Stafford also gets the benefit.

West Coast Main Line

Debate between Lord McLoughlin and Jeremy Lefroy

Monday 15th October 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr McLoughlin]

Obviously, there is a difference in view between the hon. Gentleman and the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton (Sir Gerald Kaufman), who praised the current operators of the west coast main line. Indeed, a number of people have praised the operators so I am rather surprised that when I have made a decision to keep the service with them, some people have found a way to attack that decision. The short period involved means that the best way to ensure continuity of service is to do a deal with Virgin, and we are about to embark on that.

[Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford) (Con)]

Those bidding for the franchise offered a number of improvements that were welcome to my Stafford constituents, including fare reductions. Will my right hon. Friend see whether it is possible to introduce some of those improvements in the interim period, along with his welcome cap on rail fares?

[Mr McLoughlin]

I thank my hon. Friend. As I have pointed out, there will be a two-year franchise that will be negotiated some time next year, and I hope that some of the benefits that were initially to come from a longer-term franchise agreement can be replicated in it.