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Building Britain's Future

I thank my hon. Friend for his good wishes. I am not firing on all cylinders at the moment, but I am warming up and I may get there in an hour’s time. The Conservatives are not blocking the tram, but we should be clear: they are not putting any money into it either, and they are missing a trick there. We have talked a little about the housing package. We are seeing the biggest local authority house building programme for two decades, and I welcome the money that has come to Newark and Sherwood district council. The Minister mentioned housing in the context of the regional plan, and I should make it clear how important it is that the present policy of brownfield before greenfield development continues. Seventy per cent. of new housing in Nottinghamshire and the east midlands is on brownfield rather than greenfield sites. Nottinghamshire local authorities face major challenges in providing new housing. We need small-scale sustainable housing close to town centres, not executive, ranch-style houses in the countryside, with five bedrooms and two cars in the drive. We must work closely with local authorities to introduce small-scale housing that meets local needs rather than the aspirations of builders who want to build in the countryside. The Minister talked about transport. May I be blunt with him, because there is no point having regional meetings if we cannot make regional points? I am very disappointed that the train lines between Cardiff and London and between Manchester and Liverpool will be electrified. What is happening to the midlands main line? We have been given promises in the past that the midlands main line would be electrified. There has been a study of the issue, but we do not know what the result of that study is. Let me use this opportunity now to stick up for cities such as Leicester, Nottingham and Sheffield—big cities that produce a big economy—and let me make the case very strongly for early investment in the electrification of the midlands main line. Perhaps the Minister will bring us up to date with where that project has got to. Perhaps I can also mention another local point. In his co-ordination of local authorities in the east midlands, will the Minister look closely at the bid that has been made here in Nottingham for a new World cup stadium, which will replace Nottingham Forest’s current ground? The aspiration is to move the club’s ground to Gamston. Will he talk to council leaders, including Conservative council leaders across the road at county hall, and say to them, ““If we want to win this competition and if we want to be a winning team—which we need to be to bring new investment into the area—then it is no good falling out in public, as happened earlier this week, when the referees were here.”” If there is division, discontent and different ideas, it is important to talk about those ideas behind closed doors, rather than prejudicing the bid that is being made for the future.