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Railways

My Lords, many noble Lords referred to the concentration of the economy in the south-east. That is what we want to avoid. These citizens need to be connected, not just electronically but physically, if they are to reach their full potential. My honourable friends do not want them to be isolated or limited in their economic activity. Their vision is high-speed rail and I hope that, over the coming months, I can encourage the Minister to share that. I am grateful for the comments of the noble Lord, Lord Faulkner of Worcester. We disagree on some of the detail but I strongly accept the vast majority of his arguments. We on these Benches have been committed to high-speed rail for some time. The planning and tendering process will take five years, and construction a further 10; it will not be quick. However, HSR will be the age of the train yet again.