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Proceeding contribution from Cheryl Gillan (Conservative) in the House of Commons on Wednesday, 1 December 2010. It occurred during Grand Committee proceedings (HC) on Comprehensive Spending Review.


Comprehensive Spending Review

I am almost tempted to say, ““from one chuffernutter to another””, because the first job I wanted when I was little was train driver from Cardiff. I know the hon. Lady shares my concern and my interest in making sure that we have good connectivity from south Wales. May I reassure her that the fact that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport is taking time over this decision is not sinister? The previous Labour Government made that announcement during a brief trip to Wales by the then Prime Minister, who held a Cabinet meeting there. I think it was probably one of his first—and perhaps only—visits to Wales. An awful lot of work needs to be done on the proposal. Even on that off-the-cuff announcement, without the money to back it up, the Labour Government were not going to commence the work until 2017, as I understood it. So she should be very pleased, and she should welcome the announcement of the electrification down to Didcot. It takes 15 minutes off the journey to south Wales, which is good news, and I want to reassure her that we will do everything we can to ensure that the business case is made.


Secondary information

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
WGC c54-5 
Session
2010-12
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons Grand Committees
Subjects
Public expenditure Wales
Link
View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk