Oral Answers to Questions

Huw Irranca-Davies Excerpts

Wednesday 2nd February 2011 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State was asked—

[Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore) (Lab)]

1. What recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on the electrification of the great western main line.

[Mrs Siân C. James (Swansea East) (Lab)]

6. What recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on the electrification of the great western main line.

[The Secretary of State for Wales (Mrs Cheryl Gillan)]

I have many discussions about this matter, and I remain fully supportive of electrifying the great western main line.

[Huw Irranca-Davies]

I thank the Secretary of State for that update. I never thought that I would say this, but I agreed with the Chancellor when he said last week that high-speed rail

“will provide for the next generation.”

This generation of businessmen and commuters from south Wales are looking forward to a fully electrified higher-speed rail all the way to Swansea. Will the right hon. Lady do everything in her power to ensure that we have that as soon as possible?

[Mrs Gillan]

I hear the hon. Gentleman, and I am pleased to agree with him that good infrastructure will be of great benefit to our economy in Wales. However, I should remind him that his party had 13 years to electrify the great western line to Swansea, yet failed to electrify a single inch.

--- Later in debate ---

[The Prime Minister]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to raise this. We have made some difficult decisions in this spending round, but we have increased the funding for apprenticeships so that we will be funding 75,000 more apprenticeships than what was planned under Labour. We think this is absolutely vital not just to help young people into work for the short term but to make sure they can have good and worthwhile careers in our rebalanced economy.

[Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore) (Lab)]

Airborne Systems in my constituency is a brilliant little world-leading company that makes parachutes for the UK, but also the international market. However, it is in danger of being stuffed in a tender competition, which will cost 50 jobs that will go to a French company. My local company’s products are cheaper and better, and there is an opportunity for the Prime Minister to intervene and allow it, at its own cost, to put them into trial for the UK MOD. That will lead to exports as well.

[The Prime Minister]

The hon. Gentleman makes a passionate plea for a business in his constituency, and he is absolutely right to do that. I am sure that the Ministry of Defence will hear what he says. Of course, I want every opportunity for British defence manufacturers to compete and succeed, and we are doing everything we can to help them. We have just been talking about apprenticeships. We are also delivering the lowest rate of corporation tax in the G7. All these things will help us to compete with, take on and beat our competitors.