Huw Irranca-Davies
Main Page: Huw Irranca-Davies (Labour - Ogmore)Department Debates - View all Huw Irranca-Davies's debates with the HM Treasury
National Infrastructure Plan
Huw Irranca-Davies Excerpts(10 years, 5 months ago)
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Danny Alexander
I agree wholeheartedly with my hon. Friend on both his points. On the latter, I have said enough, but the Opposition are just completely hopeless on the economy, as they have demonstrated again today.
I travel through Gatwick regularly when flying back and forth to Inverness—this is not the reason why Gatwick is in the plan—and I have to say that the airport railway station does not present a great face to the world for people arriving in this country for the first time. That is why the investment is much needed, and we welcome the fact that Sir Howard Davies has suggested making such an improvement. The £50 million we are providing will of course need to go alongside investment by the airport, but provided that that is forthcoming, we can get on with the project.
Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore) (Lab)
How many of today’s announcements and the many re-announcements are in response to real tragedies for the economy, such as RWE’s decision to walk away from a potential £4 billion investment in the Atlantic array, which would have brought much-needed jobs? Has the Chief Secretary had discussions with RWE on resetting the strike rate, and would it now be at the table if he had done so sooner?
Danny Alexander
As RWE said at the time, its decision about the project was a commercial one taken for a range of reasons. It was aware of the timetable for setting out the strike prices. I know that my hon. Friends in the Department of Energy and Climate Change had conversations with that company.