Written Question
Monday 28th June 2021
Asked by:
Liam Fox (Conservative - North Somerset)
Question
to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress he has made on reopening the Portishead railway line.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
Reopening the railway line from Bristol to Portishead is being led and funded by the West of England Combined Authority and North Somerset Council as Phase 1B of MetroWest. The Department for Transport has committed to make a capped funding contribution of £31.9m towards the scheme. My Department expects to receive the Planning Inspectorate’s recommendation regarding the scheme’s Development Consent Order shortly and on which the Secretary of State will need to give his decision.
Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 16 Oct 2019
Portishead Railway
"I am grateful for the opportunity to have this debate, especially during the week of the Queen’s Speech. I am also grateful for the dogged and outstanding support that the Portishead railway project has had from the residents of the town itself, from North Somerset more widely, and from the …..."Liam Fox - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 16 Oct 2019
Portishead Railway
"I am extremely grateful to the hon. Lady, and she is right that we deserve better public transport in the Bristol area. Bristol is one of only two cities in the United Kingdom, outside London, that produce a net benefit to the economy, and we deserve a level of spending …..."Liam Fox - View Speech
View all Liam Fox (Con - North Somerset) contributions to the debate on: Portishead Railway
Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 16 Oct 2019
Portishead Railway
"It is not simply a specific case; it is also a generic one. We need to see major improvements in our railway capacity for exactly those reasons and for the environmental benefits that will come from not having the pollutants from slow-moving traffic congesting our towns and villages.
As a …..."Liam Fox - View Speech
View all Liam Fox (Con - North Somerset) contributions to the debate on: Portishead Railway
Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 16 Oct 2019
Portishead Railway
"I completely agree. Our transport network is now an economic rate-limiting step in the Bristol area. I know, and my colleagues will know, of companies that want to grow but are incapable of doing so. We are fortunate to have low levels of unemployment in our area, but it is …..."Liam Fox - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 14 Dec 2015
Airports Capacity
"Does my right hon. Friend understand the dismay and frustration in the south-west as a result of this latest delay? Our infrastructure comes to the west of London. He himself has been responsible for massive rail investment, including electrification and the spur line to Heathrow. As this latest delay will …..."Liam Fox - View Speech
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Written Question
Monday 7th July 2014
Asked by:
Liam Fox (Conservative - North Somerset)
Question
to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the economic and social contribution of Bristol Airport to (a) the Exchequer and (b) local communities; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Government's Aviation Policy Framework, published in March 2013, recognised the contribution that airports across the UK – such as Bristol Airport – make to local, regional and national economies, and the important role they play an in securing connectivity for local populations. Bristol Airport handled over six million passengers during 2013, has direct air services to over one hundred destinations, and its on-site businesses provide valuable employment for approximately three thousand people.
Last month the independent Airports Commission published a call for evidence on the domestic and international air connectivity provided by airports across the country. It also examines connectivity trends at these airports, how the business models of these airports are developing, and whether the connectivity provided by these airports can be enhanced.