---

Transport (North-West)

It is a pleasure, Mr. Hood, to see you presiding over our debate this afternoon. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Chorley (Mr. Hoyle) on securing this important debate. He expressed concerns on a range of policies and projects in the north-west, as did other Members, and he set them out clearly. I assure my hon. Friend and the House that even if I do not respond to every point raised this morning, they will all be examined. I shall speak later on the specific issues raised. However, I shall start by highlighting some of the successes seen recently in the north-west. I am responding on behalf of my ministerial colleague, the Under-Secretary of State for Transport, my hon. Friend the Member for Gillingham (Paul Clark). He sends his apologies for not be able to attend the debate. The Department is proud of the investment that it has made to improve transport in the north-west. Total public expenditure on transport there increased by 27 per cent. between 2002-03 and 2007-08; there was £672 million for local transport and maintenance for the period 2008-11; and there was £1.3 billion over 10 years for major projects. However, those numbers tell only part of the story. The north-west benefits also from specifically targeted funding. A road safety grant of £41.5 million is helping local authorities to develop solutions specific to their needs; more than 20 per cent. of the recent national cycle training grant went to the north-west; and £7 million is going towards the north-west's three new cycling demonstration towns of Blackpool, Chester and Southport. I shall return to the topic of cycling if I have time. Furthermore, more than £21 million in proposed investment from the community infrastructure fund has been progressed to a full business case for schemes in the north-west. Having an effective transport system is about much more than money. It is also about seizing the opportunities offered and making the right decisions. We are devolving decision-making, putting local people and their leaders in the driving seat when deciding transport priorities. However, I hear what my hon. Friend the Member for Chorley said; I understand that public consultation will soon take place in respect of improving those arrangements. Central to this is the Local Transport Act 2008, which gives the new integrated transport authorities the opportunity to implement a more streamlined transport planning and decision-making process. We are providing the right framework and tools for local authorities and bus operators to work together in order to boost bus use. That is why we are urging our partners to make the most of the opportunities provided by the Act to promote bus travel, to reduce congestion and to improve services, information and infrastructure. As an example of that, the Under-Secretary of State for Transport, my hon. Friend the Member for Gillingham recently made a well received visit to the north-west to discuss the provisions of the Act with councillors and officers and to encourage its use. Much can be achieved in transport through effective leadership and governance, as it will allow the right decisions to be made at the right level, whether local, regional or sub-regional. We have seen with the buses what local leadership can achieve. At the sub-regional level, the north-west has been at the forefront of taking advantage of the opportunities through the multi-area agreement system. There is also a strategic regional dimension to transport planning. The north-west, with other regions, recently resubmitted its priorities for major project funding through the regional funding allocation. We are now considering them, and will reply in due course. Although I cannot comment now on the specifics of the north-west's submission, I welcome the positive response from the area to its increasing role in making decisions. Going forward, the Department is providing funds to regions to study priorities under the strategic process set out in "Delivering a Sustainable Transport System", which was published earlier this year. These are challenging times. The north-west is, and always has been, a vital component in our national economy. Businesses and industries from the region are competing in global markets, but they do so against the backdrop of a global economic crisis. Keeping goods, raw materials and commuters moving is crucial to supporting the economy. We in Whitehall are making investment, and devolving decision-making to those who know best, but we are also developing a long-term vision for the nation's transport network by exploring the possibilities of a north-south high-speed rail link, which was mentioned by my hon. Friend the Member for Chorley and many others. I am sure that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and Lord Adonis, the rail Minister, will be gratified by the kind words expressed by so many Members this morning, both welcoming them to the Department and appreciating what they have done since their appointment. As announced to the House on 15 January, a new company, High Speed 2, has been formed to develop the case for high-speed services between London and Scotland. It will report by the end of the year with a proposed route from London to the west midlands, setting out any necessary options. It will also consider the potential for new lines to serve the north of England and Scotland. We have asked High Speed 2 to provide advice on the development of a high-speed line beyond the west midlands, at the level of broad corridors, including to the north-west. The Manchester hub study is now working to a similar time scale to the high speed study, and the conclusions of each will be shared. Network Rail will not develop options for Manchester and the surrounding area that would close off the option of high-speed trains to service a central Manchester terminal. My hon. Friend the Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) spoke about Taiwan, and said that if there were a high-speed rail link between the north-west and London it would eliminate all air travel. We have discussed the matter before. As my hon. Friend knows, the upgrade of the north-west line has reversed the polarity of travel; instead of 60 per cent. of travellers going by air and 40 per cent. by rail, 60 per cent. now go by rail and 40 per cent. by air. I am sure that my hon. Friend is right; an improved service will enable travellers to choose the most appropriate and suitable service, which will also be the most efficient and cost-effective. My hon. Friend the Member for Chorley asked about community infrastructure fund and whether, if they were unsuccessful for Chorley, he could look for an alternative funding solution. The outcome of the CIF assessment process will be known by the summer, after which time we will be clearer about whether alternative funding solutions will still need to be considered. He also spoke about the Mersey gateway bridge. It has been agreed that there will a joint public inquiry into all the orders necessary to build and toll both bridges. That inquiry begins on 19 May. That subject was first raised in an intervention by my hon. Friend the Member for Halton (Derek Twigg). However, I shall comment only on current proposals. My hon. Friend the Member for Chorley asked about extending concessionary travel to young people, and he wanted to know whether it would be extended to regional train travel, too. As he said, the current scheme is popular. Local authorities have the power to put further extensions in place if they believe that it would be good for the area. However, I acknowledge my hon. Friend's demand for additional funding for his area, so that services similar to those provided in other parts of the country can be provided in the north-west. The hon. Member for Ribble Valley (Mr. Evans) said that more needs to be done for rural bus services. Provisions in the Local Transport Act 2008 strengthen the powers available to local authorities to improve bus services; they include better provision for community transport, as well as making quality contracts more feasible. It is up to local authorities to use those powers in the best way for their areas. I assure my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Central (Tony Lloyd) that I am big fan and supporter of Manchester airport. In 2003, we published the White Paper on aviation, and in 2006 there was an update. We are committed to providing a national policy statement on aviation in due course. My hon. Friend spoke about commercial pressures, as did my hon. Friend the Member for Pendle, and he also asked about identifying appropriate regulation in order to support regional airports. Those matters are being examined, and will be examined further. I was also asked about rail capacity—