Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with Scottish Enterprise on plans to boost productivity in the Scottish Borders.
Answered by David Mundell
I have met with Scottish Enterprise in my capacity as Member of Parliament for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale.
I expect to have further discussions with both Scottish Enterprise and the new South of Scotland Enterprise Agency as we drive forward a Borderlands Growth Deal.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with Ministers from the Scottish Government on ensuring that the UK and Scottish Governments work together to deliver the Borderlands growth deal.
Answered by David Mundell
The UK Government is committed to deliver a transformational and economic Deal for the Borderlands area that will focus on issues such as infrastructure, skills and energy. I will drive this work forward to see an agreed deal in the coming months.
I and my officials have had a number of meetings with local representatives and local authorities which led to the partners submitting their proposals on 29 September.
My officials are now discussing these proposals with other UK Government Departments and the Scottish Government and I plan to hold discussions with Scottish Government Ministers soon to agree how both Governments can best take this work forward.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with local authorities on the borderlands growth deal.
Answered by David Mundell
The UK Government is committed to deliver a transformational and economic Deal for the Borderlands area that will focus on issues such as infrastructure, skills and energy. I will drive this work forward to see an agreed deal in the coming months.
I and my officials have had a number of meetings with local representatives and local authorities which led to the partners submitting their proposals on 29 September.
My officials are now discussing these proposals with other UK Government Departments and the Scottish Government and I plan to hold discussions with Scottish Government Ministers soon to agree how both Governments can best take this work forward.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what the next steps are for the Borderlands Growth Deal.
Answered by David Mundell
The UK Government is committed to deliver a transformational and economic Deal for the Borderlands area that will focus on issues such as infrastructure, skills and energy. I will drive this work forward to see an agreed deal in the coming months.
I and my officials have had a number of meetings with local representatives and local authorities which led to the partners submitting their proposals on 29 September.
My officials are now discussing these proposals with other UK Government Departments and the Scottish Government and I plan to hold discussions with Scottish Government Ministers soon to agree how both Governments can best take this work forward.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what estimate the Government has made of the number of new trains planned to operate on the East Coast mainline between Edinburgh and London as a result of High Speed 2.
Answered by David Mundell
The business case for High Speed 2 assumes two HS2 trains per hour between London and Scotland for 16 hours per day, providing a total of 34,000 seats between London-Glasgow and London-Edinburgh on HS2 (splitting or joining at Carstairs) in both directions each day.
These trains will use the West Coast Main Line and HS2 Western Leg, rather than the East Coast Main Line. There will, however, be a connection onto the East Coast Main Line at Church Fenton allowing HS2 trains to connect London and the West Midlands to York and the North East. Final decisions on the train service will be made closer to the opening of HS2.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what progress the Government has made on the delivery of the borderlands Growth Deal.
Answered by David Mundell
Building on the city and growth deals we have signed across Scotland, we will bring forward a Borderlands Growth Deal to secure economic improvements for the people who live and work in our Borderlands region. The Scotland Office will work with the Department for Communities and Local Government, the Scottish Government, and Local Authorities on both sides of the border to identify proposals that will best support the economy of the region, and we look forward to hearing local partners’ ambitions for the area as work progresses.