High Speed Rail

Lord Haselhurst Excerpts
Monday 28th January 2013

(11 years, 3 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord McLoughlin Portrait Mr McLoughlin
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I believe the Under-Secretary of State for Transport, my hon. Friend the Member for Lewes (Norman Baker), gave the right hon. Gentleman an assurance on that point last Friday. I am certainly prepared to meet the right hon. Gentleman to discuss these matters and to try and clear up what confusion there seems to be.

Lord Haselhurst Portrait Sir Alan Haselhurst (Saffron Walden) (Con)
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In view of the continued drift from north to south, which has been a characteristic of this country for many decades, and which places enormous pressure on services and facilities in constituencies such as mine, should not HS2 be hailed as the most dramatic attempt yet to correct that national imbalance to the advantage of the country as a whole?

Lord McLoughlin Portrait Mr McLoughlin
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When HS2 is fully up and built, it will have a major impact on the north and will help dramatically to rebalance the economy, which is so desperately needed. I am grateful for my right hon. Friend’s support.