Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Northern Ireland Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Neil Hudson Excerpts
Wednesday 27th October 2021

(2 years, 6 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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The Prime Minister was asked—
Neil Hudson Portrait Dr Neil Hudson (Penrith and The Border) (Con)
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Q1. If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 27 October.

Boris Johnson Portrait The Prime Minister (Boris Johnson)
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This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others, during which my right hon. Friend the Chancellor updated the Cabinet on how the Government’s plan for jobs is working, with higher wages, higher skills and rising productivity. He will make a statement to the House shortly setting out how we will build a new age of optimism. In addition to my duties in this House, I shall have further such meetings later today.

Neil Hudson Portrait Dr Hudson
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I very much welcome the A66 northern trans-Pennine project from Penrith to Scotch Corner. That £1 billion investment will improve safety and congestion and help to level up our region, supporting jobs, essential services and tourism, but we have to get the project right. Will my right hon. Friend ask his Department for Transport, Ministry of Defence and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to work together pragmatically and reasonably with suggested route amendments to ensure that local communities such as Warcop, Musgrave and Sandford are not left blighted by the current plans?

Boris Johnson Portrait The Prime Minister
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My hon. Friend is right that the development that he refers to is part of an infrastructure revolution that I think will transform the country, but he is also right that we should consider local feedback from stakeholders and the community when finalising the design, and so we will.