Joe Robertson
Main Page: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)Department Debates - View all Joe Robertson's debates with the Department for Transport
(1 day, 22 hours ago)
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Heidi Alexander
I understand the importance of the Ely area scheme in terms of rail infrastructure, and I hope to say more about rail investment in the weeks before the summer recess.
Joe Robertson (Isle of Wight East) (Con)
Will the Secretary of State set out the steps she is taking to ensure that infrastructure like the £100 million bat tunnel will not be included in future projects, such as East West Rail?
Heidi Alexander
I can tell the hon. Gentleman that the Planning and Infrastructure Bill includes proposals to reform species and habitats protection. The proposals for environmental delivery plans and the nature restoration fund enable a shift to protecting the whole population of a species, rather than focusing on purely local considerations. That will ensure better outcomes for nature, without causing us to incur unreasonable costs, as happened with the HS2 bat mitigation structure.