To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Davies of Gower on 20 December 2023 (HL1201), when they expect any further services to be reintroduced between Nottingham and Lincoln, as passenger numbers now exceed those before the COVID-19 pandemic.

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Davies of Gower on 20 December 2023 (HL1201), when they expect any further services to be reintroduced between Nottingham and Lincoln, as passenger numbers now exceed those before the COVID-19 pandemic.

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussion they are having with East Midlands Railways about restoring the pre-pandemic levels of service between Nottingham and Lincoln.

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussion they are having with East Midlands Railways about restoring the pre-pandemic levels of service between Nottingham and Lincoln.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the number of services on the Castle Line from Lincoln to Nottingham through Newark Castle Station will be restored to the level of those services prior to the covid-19 outbreak.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the number of services on the Castle Line from Lincoln to Nottingham through Newark Castle Station will be restored to the level of those services prior to the covid-19 outbreak.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, to provide for future electrification, they intend to immunise the new signalling equipment when the railway line between Nottingham, Newark and Lincoln is re-signalled by 2019.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, to provide for future electrification, they intend to immunise the new signalling equipment when the railway line between Nottingham, Newark and Lincoln is re-signalled by 2019.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects to make an announcement on improvements to the Nottingham to Lincoln line.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects to make an announcement on improvements to the Nottingham to Lincoln line.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any immediate plans to improve the service of the Nottingham to Lincoln railway.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any immediate plans to improve the service of the Nottingham to Lincoln railway.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of options for increasing service frequencies on the Nottingham-Lincoln line; and what the revenue subsidy and capital cost of implications are of each such option.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of options for increasing service frequencies on the Nottingham-Lincoln line; and what the revenue subsidy and capital cost of implications are of each such option.

May I thank your office, Madam Deputy Speaker, for making it possible for me to have this debate today? I should also like to thank the right hon. and hon. Members on both sides of the House who have supported the project. I will certainly allow them time to speak...

May I thank your office, Madam Deputy Speaker, for making it possible for me to have this debate today? I should also like to thank the right hon. and hon. Members on both sides of the House who have supported the project. I will certainly allow them time to speak...

Dinner in 10 minutes, please.

Dinner in 10 minutes, please.

As the Minister said, his dinner is in 10 minutes, so I will be as brief as possible.

Newark has many, many assets, probably the best of which, as has been known since at least Roman times, is the ability to communicate quickly and effectively, particularly north to south, and south...

As the Minister said, his dinner is in 10 minutes, so I will be as brief as possible.

Newark has many, many assets, probably the best of which, as has been known since at least Roman times, is the ability to communicate quickly and effectively, particularly north to south, and south...

I congratulate the hon. Gentleman on securing this debate and on the campaign to improve links among Nottingham, Newark and Lincoln. Does he recognise that throughout Nottinghamshire rail links are not particularly good, and that villages such as Edwinstowe and Ollerton could benefit a great deal should rail links be...

I congratulate the hon. Gentleman on securing this debate and on the campaign to improve links among Nottingham, Newark and Lincoln. Does he recognise that throughout Nottinghamshire rail links are not particularly good, and that villages such as Edwinstowe and Ollerton could benefit a great deal should rail links be...

I am grateful for that intervention. My hon. Friend has stood firmly by me throughout this campaign and indeed with Newark business club, which I really should have mentioned earlier on. I am grateful to him for his support. I hope that I have made it clear that I am...

I am grateful for that intervention. My hon. Friend has stood firmly by me throughout this campaign and indeed with Newark business club, which I really should have mentioned earlier on. I am grateful to him for his support. I hope that I have made it clear that I am...

The hon. Gentleman is making a compelling case for this important project to which I hope the Minister is listening. He has come to the important point, which is that we are talking about an extremely small amount of money that would benefit enormously economic growth

in places such as...

The hon. Gentleman is making a compelling case for this important project to which I hope the Minister is listening. He has come to the important point, which is that we are talking about an extremely small amount of money that would benefit enormously economic growth

in places such as...

I am grateful to the gallant, hon. and learned Member, who makes an extremely good point. I hope that he appreciates that I am trying to address the area—that is, not just Newark but the financial penumbra thrown by the railways throughout the area, regardless of party political divide. We...

I am grateful to the gallant, hon. and learned Member, who makes an extremely good point. I hope that he appreciates that I am trying to address the area—that is, not just Newark but the financial penumbra thrown by the railways throughout the area, regardless of party political divide. We...

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for giving way; he is being generous with his time. He makes a strong economic case, but does he also recognise the social and well-being benefits that extra travel and ability to travel will bring to many constituencies and constituents?

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for giving way; he is being generous with his time. He makes a strong economic case, but does he also recognise the social and well-being benefits that extra travel and ability to travel will bring to many constituencies and constituents?

My hon. Friend recognises a fact that I was about to point out. Of course we are talking money, and unfortunately, matters of government almost always revert to money, but there are real social benefits. I know, for instance, that the hon. Member for Nottingham South, who is present, uses...

My hon. Friend recognises a fact that I was about to point out. Of course we are talking money, and unfortunately, matters of government almost always revert to money, but there are real social benefits. I know, for instance, that the hon. Member for Nottingham South, who is present, uses...

I thank my colleague, the hon. and gallant Member for Newark (Patrick Mercer), for letting me speak in this debate. I will not take up too much time, because I am conscious that we would like to hear from the Minister and give him as much time to reply as...

I thank my colleague, the hon. and gallant Member for Newark (Patrick Mercer), for letting me speak in this debate. I will not take up too much time, because I am conscious that we would like to hear from the Minister and give him as much time to reply as...

I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Newark (Patrick Mercer) on securing this debate, which provides a further chance for him and other hon. Members to put the case on their constituents’ behalf, as they did in a long meeting with me last week.

The issues that my hon. Friend...

I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Newark (Patrick Mercer) on securing this debate, which provides a further chance for him and other hon. Members to put the case on their constituents’ behalf, as they did in a long meeting with me last week.

The issues that my hon. Friend...

The Minister is making a powerful case for the amount of money that the Government are spending in the east midlands, but I hope he accepts that most of the projects that he mentioned are on north-south routes—it is on east-west routes that we face the challenge.

The Minister is making a powerful case for the amount of money that the Government are spending in the east midlands, but I hope he accepts that most of the projects that he mentioned are on north-south routes—it is on east-west routes that we face the challenge.

East-west is often a challenge across the country, and I am about to address that point.

I said that the Government’s rail investment strategy rightly focuses on the strategic priorities for the network but, in line with our localism agenda, it is right that local and sub-regional bodies, which are best...

East-west is often a challenge across the country, and I am about to address that point.

I said that the Government’s rail investment strategy rightly focuses on the strategic priorities for the network but, in line with our localism agenda, it is right that local and sub-regional bodies, which are best...