Oral question asked in the House of Commons, by Anne Snelgrove (Labour). It was answered on Thursday, 3 September 2009 on behalf of the South West Regional Grand Committee.

Swindon-Kemble Railway Line

Question: I, for one, welcome the Government’s investment and promise of investment in the line, which is extremely important for Swindon’s growth and for getting it out of the recession. I am grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Plymouth, Devonport for co-ordinating the region’s response to the Secretary of State for Transport, which elicited that letter of support and his overwhelming support for the scheme. Will the Minister extend such meetings, so that a cross-party group of MPs can meet the Secretary of State and the Minister, because this is a cross-party initiative that has cross-party support?

Answer: Certainly. Given that the line starts in Swindon, it would be foolish not to take a passionate advocate for the town to such a meeting as part of such a delegation. In the spirit of consensus that this setting encourages, we must work together to try to achieve that for the region.

Secondary information