Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate
Sureena Brackenridge Excerpts(3 weeks, 6 days ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Watch Debate Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Heidi Alexander
I would like to put on record my thanks to the Scottish Government for their assistance in working at pace over the past couple of days. I committed to the hon. Gentleman’s colleagues in the Scottish Government to work closely with them and that is exactly what I have done. With regard to carbon assessments, we have conducted a carbon assessment. I can assure him that today’s proposed changes make a negligible change to the carbon emissions that were predicted to be saved as a result of the ZEV mandate.
Mrs Sureena Brackenridge (Wolverhampton North East) (Lab)
I welcome the Secretary of State’s statement, given the uncertainty and turmoil caused by US tariffs on British-made vehicles. Will she outline how she is responding to major employers such as Jaguar Land Rover, to ensure they can remain competitive and safeguard jobs in our local communities, as shared by Members from across the House?
Heidi Alexander
As I may have said to other colleagues, JLR will stand to benefit from the flexibilities we have announced today: the increased borrowing flexibility; the extension and the expansion of the carbon dioxide transfer cap; and the changes we talked about on the way we measure CO2 emissions from plug-in hybrids, which will make it easier for them to use the CO2 transfer flexibility. I think all those things we have announced today will be welcomed by JLR and, hopefully, by her constituents employed at the factory.
Road Maintenance
Sureena Brackenridge Excerpts(3 weeks, 6 days ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Watch Debate Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Mrs Sureena Brackenridge (Wolverhampton North East) (Lab)
There is nothing more symbolic of broken Britain and the mess we inherited than the state of our pothole-riddled roads. Bumpy, crumbling and unsafe roads have become the norm rather than the exception. For far too long, our infrastructure was allowed to deteriorate, with cash-strapped councils having to prioritise vital services. The damage has built up year after year, and now it is a problem we are all facing across the country.
I was quite flabbergasted when I heard the hon. Member for Broadland and Fakenham (Jerome Mayhew) say that roads were better for motorists in 2024 than they were 15 or 20 years back. I would like to invite the shadow Minister to come and visit Wolverhampton North East, because he would be hard-pressed to find residents who share that view.
In Wolverhampton North East, I hear it on the doorstep every time I speak to residents about their priorities and their issues: they are fed up with swerving potholes; they are angry about how much money they have had to spend on repairs; and let us not forget the rising insurance premiums, a direct result of the number of claims people have to make due to damaged roads.
With this Government, things are beginning to change. I welcome the Government committing £1.6 billion to local highways maintenance across England. Of that, £500 million will go directly to fixing 7 million potholes. That is a huge step forward, but because of the dire state of the roads, it is just the beginning. For Wolverhampton, that will support £9.7 million in funding for this financial year, a significant investment. But our roads are in such poor condition that a single investment will not fix everything overnight. The problem is years in the making and it will take time to repair the damage caused by years of neglect.
There is not a quick fix here, so I welcome a strategic programme to improve roads across Wolverhampton: resurfacing, surface stressing, and preventative treatments that will last. To everyone who has reached out to me, thank you. Your frustrations are justified. We know there is more to do and we cannot fix every road overnight, but, after years of frustration, with this record investment cash-strapped councils can finally get on with the job.
Oral Answers to Questions
Sureena Brackenridge Excerpts(6 months, 3 weeks ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Watch Debate Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Mrs Sureena Brackenridge (Wolverhampton North East) (Lab)
Lilian Greenwood
I thank my hon. Friend for raising that vital question. Every death on our roads is a tragedy. We expect drivers to observe the speed limit, and, of course, enforcement is a matter for the police. Last week, I met Richard Parker, the Mayor of the west midlands, to discuss our shared determination to improve road safety.