Heathrow: National Airports Review
Debate between Heidi Alexander and Charlie Dewhirst(1 week, 6 days ago)
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Heidi Alexander
My hon. Friend is right; I know that East Midlands airport plays a particularly important role in air freight, second only to Heathrow. That is something we do not talk about enough, given its importance to the economy, so I welcome the comments he has made.
Charlie Dewhirst (Bridlington and The Wolds) (Con)
I am and always will be a proud Yorkshireman, but I lived in west London for a number of years, so I am aware of the diverse range of views on Heathrow expansion. I certainly do not subscribe to the luddite nimbyism of the hon. Member for Hammersmith and Chiswick (Andy Slaughter), but may I ask the Secretary of State what consideration she has given to potential Chinese investment into this critical national infrastructure?
Heidi Alexander
It will be for the promoters of any future scheme to secure financing for the development. I can reassure the hon. Gentleman that national security always comes first and foremost for this Government, but we are keen to secure international investment so that we can boost UK competitiveness and improve global connectivity. That is central to everything we are trying to do.
Oral Answers to Questions
Debate between Heidi Alexander and Charlie Dewhirst(8 months, 3 weeks ago)
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Charlie Dewhirst (Bridlington and The Wolds) (Con)
Heidi Alexander
There is a balance to be struck here. I welcome services such as those that run to Hull; they open up new routes and new connectivity. I have, however, asked the Office of Rail and Road to consider the balance in the revenue that they abstract from public operators, and to ensure that we are using constrained capacity in our network appropriately to deliver excellent services for passengers.