"I am very glad that the hon. Member managed to sneak in before the end of the debate. I cannot fault his maths on the challenge that he describes. I will ensure that his request for a meeting is passed on to the Rail Minister, who, I am sure, will …..." Keir Mather - View Speech
"I thank the right hon. Lady for her contribution. She has made similar ones about open access, and I fully agree about how important it is. We believe that when GBR manages capacity across the rail network, it might create more opportunity for open-access services when the railway is run …..." Keir Mather - View Speech
"It is a pleasure to respond to this debate. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Shrewsbury (Julia Buckley) on securing it and for speaking so ardently about the critical importance of rail connections in rural areas. She also set out a strong case for the historic yet modern …..." Keir Mather - View Speech
"I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention. I will ensure that his request is put through to the Rail Minister.
Let me turn to the matter of direct services between Shrewsbury and London. I fully understand the desire of my hon. Friend the Member for Shrewsbury for a direct …..." Keir Mather - View Speech
"It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir John. I congratulate the hon. Member for Cheadle (Mr Morrison) on securing this debate, and everyone else, including the hon. Members for Strangford (Jim Shannon) and for Hazel Grove (Lisa Smart), on their helpful interventions that stressed the fundamental importance …..." Keir Mather - View Speech
"My hon. Friend pre-empts some of the matters that I will turn to shortly, including connectivity and capacity considerations for other parts of the north-west rail network. He is absolutely right that the Department for Transport has an obligation to ensure that these questions are considered in the round, and …..." Keir Mather - View Speech
"The Department, of course, wants to pursue these projects at pace. If the hon. Gentleman does not mind, I will respond to him in writing with a more detailed timeline of when roll-out will begin.
To conclude, the Government are investing in roads, rail, buses and active travel projects across …..." Keir Mather - View Speech
"I take the point the hon. Member makes, and the point that he made earlier about the basic issue of equity for British citizens, irrespective of which part of the United Kingdom they live in. That being said, it is incumbent on me in my ministerial capacity to work within …..." Keir Mather - View Speech
"It is a pleasure to respond to this Adjournment debate. May I begin by congratulating the hon. Member for St Ives (Andrew George) for securing it and for speaking so passionately about transport provision for the Isles of Scilly? He speaks with his characteristic good nature on what are really …..." Keir Mather - View Speech
"A safe, efficient and innovative maritime sector is fundamental to the United Kingdom’s economic strength and global competitiveness. The general lighthouse authorities are central to this ambition. Through their maintenance of essential aids to navigation and their rapid response to new wrecks and emerging hazards, the GLAs safeguard some of …..." Keir Mather - View Speech