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Local Transport

I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this debate on the Select Committee’s report and the Government’s record on local transport planning and funding. I commend the hon. Member for Crewe and Nantwich (Mrs. Dunwoody) on her excellent introduction to the debate. There have been interesting contributions from both sides of the House. The speech of the hon. Member for Manchester, Blackley (Graham Stringer) was interesting in a number of respects. He argued his case forcefully—as he does often. My hon. Friends the Member for Beverley and Holderness (Mr. Stuart) and for Reading, East (Mr. Wilson) also made forceful contributions. The hon. Member for Eltham (Clive Efford) seemed to criticise another Member, but then fell into the same trap, especially on his point about Government and private funding of Crossrail. While the private sector has already guaranteed a certain amount, it is for the Government to tell us either how much they are going to put in, or whether they will support the project with a Government-backed bond, which would make the private sector funding even cheaper and more effective, and might even produce extra money to deliver the hon. Gentleman’s Crossrail station.