National Infrastructure Plan Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

National Infrastructure Plan

Stephen O'Brien Excerpts
Wednesday 4th December 2013

(10 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Danny Alexander Portrait Danny Alexander
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The hon. Gentleman will have to talk to the project developer about that. I completely refute his allegation with regard to where the infrastructure projects are taking place. One of the most important projects in the plan is High Speed 2, which will benefit the whole country, including, potentially, north Wales with regard to rail access. We have also made announcements about the M4 and borrowing powers for the Welsh Government. The largest single project where there is progress today is the Wylfa nuclear power station, which the hon. Member for Ynys Môn (Albert Owen) welcomed, and I should hope the hon. Member for Swansea West (Geraint Davies) would, too.

Stephen O'Brien Portrait Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury) (Con)
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In welcoming the statement and, in particular, knowing the Chief Secretary to be the guardian of value for money, which has led to the justification for non-carbon-emitting nuclear power, may I ask him to guide me to where I can find in all the HS2 documents that have now been published the business case that judges double-decking carriages to relieve the passenger capacity problem on the west coast main line versus HS2? Try as I might, I cannot find it. It does not appear to be there, even though it would seem to me the one business case needed to prove the case that has been made.

Danny Alexander Portrait Danny Alexander
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I might have been able to give the right hon. Gentleman a page reference if he had asked a question about the national infrastructure plan. I think that expecting an answer from me about the voluminous range of papers on HS2 is a little bit too much, but I will make sure that he receives an answer from my friends at the Department for Transport.