Oral Answers to Questions

Wera Hobhouse Excerpts

Thursday 10th January 2019 Commons Chamber

[The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Jesse Norman)]

My hon. Friend has been a very tireless campaigner for transport issues in his constituency and I would be delighted to meet him.

[Wera Hobhouse (Bath) (LD)]

T2. In my constit- uency, it has been suggested that our regional Mayor—the West of England Combined Authority Mayor—has the power to adopt an underused bit of highway from Highways England to construct an east of Bath park-and-ride, and the council has failed for a long time to find a suitable site. Is it the Minister’s understanding that the regional Mayor has these powers, and does he agree that such a use of existing land is an elegant solution?

[Jesse Norman]

I will resist the temptation to comment in advance on the elegance of the solution, but I think it is a very interesting idea in principle. As the hon. Lady may be aware, it would require the transfer of the road from Highways England and the agreement of the Secretary of State. We would also want to be sure that any changes were consistent with the combined authority’s long-term transport plans. Subject to those constraints, we would be very interested to see it.