To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the cost of (a) lengthening the Manchester East tunnel by 259 metres and (b) other parts of the new gyratory road junction at J6 of the M56 at Q3 2019 prices; and whether those changes...

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the cost of (a) lengthening the Manchester East tunnel by 259 metres and (b) other parts of the new gyratory road junction at J6 of the M56 at Q3 2019 prices; and whether those changes...

On 9 March 2023, the Secretary of State for Transport restated the Government’s commitment to building HS2 between London Euston and Manchester. Continuing to progress the High Speed Rail (Crewe – Manchester) Bill through Parliament is a vital part of this commitment. Today the Government is introducing into Parliament a...

On 9 March 2023, the Secretary of State for Transport restated the Government’s commitment to building HS2 between London Euston and Manchester. Continuing to progress the High Speed Rail (Crewe – Manchester) Bill through Parliament is a vital part of this commitment. Today the Government is introducing into Parliament a...

My Honourable Friend, the Minister of State for Transport (Huw Merriman), has made the following Ministerial Statement:

On 9 March 2023, the Secretary of State for Transport restated the Government’s commitment to building HS2 between London Euston and Manchester. Continuing to progress the High Speed Rail (Crewe – Manchester) Bill through...

My Honourable Friend, the Minister of State for Transport (Huw Merriman), has made the following Ministerial Statement:

On 9 March 2023, the Secretary of State for Transport restated the Government’s commitment to building HS2 between London Euston and Manchester. Continuing to progress the High Speed Rail (Crewe – Manchester) Bill through...

My Lords, I am pleased to see that the Minister is still with us to answer this debate. There were times last week when I began to wonder whether she would be. In these surreal days, it is reassuring that she will be able to bring her experience of this...

My Lords, I am pleased to see that the Minister is still with us to answer this debate. There were times last week when I began to wonder whether she would be. In these surreal days, it is reassuring that she will be able to bring her experience of this...

My Lords, I support most of what the noble Baroness said in introducing this short debate. We are starting to hear that the Government are changing metres into feet or miles, but that is completely irrelevant. I suspect that, as the noble Baroness said, this regulation and the policy behind...

My Lords, I support most of what the noble Baroness said in introducing this short debate. We are starting to hear that the Government are changing metres into feet or miles, but that is completely irrelevant. I suspect that, as the noble Baroness said, this regulation and the policy behind...

My Lords, I am grateful to all noble Lords who have spoken in today’s debate. I am also fairly grateful to still be here; I have enjoyed being the Roads Minister for the past three years, and I know a fair amount about smart motorways, so I shall try to...

My Lords, I am grateful to all noble Lords who have spoken in today’s debate. I am also fairly grateful to still be here; I have enjoyed being the Roads Minister for the past three years, and I know a fair amount about smart motorways, so I shall try to...

I will happily explain that. All the evidence I just outlined was in the progress report—as I said, there was an enormous amount of scrutiny. If I had my time again, would I have put all that evidence in the Explanatory Memorandum? No, because Explanatory Memorandums cannot possibly include every...

I will happily explain that. All the evidence I just outlined was in the progress report—as I said, there was an enormous amount of scrutiny. If I had my time again, would I have put all that evidence in the Explanatory Memorandum? No, because Explanatory Memorandums cannot possibly include every...

That is exactly why, as I set out, we will update the Explanatory Memorandum. Am I going to regurgitate everything in the progress report, the response to the Transport Select Committee, the progress report from last year, and the original 2020 action plan and stocktake? No, because it would become...

That is exactly why, as I set out, we will update the Explanatory Memorandum. Am I going to regurgitate everything in the progress report, the response to the Transport Select Committee, the progress report from last year, and the original 2020 action plan and stocktake? No, because it would become...

I could speak about smart motorways for ever—and I have not finished yet. I will happily set out in a letter to the House exactly where all these links are—I am sure the noble Lord knows where they all are—and summarise all the data that is out there at the...

I could speak about smart motorways for ever—and I have not finished yet. I will happily set out in a letter to the House exactly where all these links are—I am sure the noble Lord knows where they all are—and summarise all the data that is out there at the...

I thank those noble Lords who took part this evening; in particular, I thank the Minister for her response.

Of course I recognise that safety on smart motorways is a complex issue. It relates to emergency areas, response times and response detection. But I must comment that, at times, the Minister’s...

I thank those noble Lords who took part this evening; in particular, I thank the Minister for her response.

Of course I recognise that safety on smart motorways is a complex issue. It relates to emergency areas, response times and response detection. But I must comment that, at times, the Minister’s...

My Lords, the noble Baroness raises some serious and good points. However, I gently remind noble Lords of how these smart motorways came to pass. I recall that, in my

time in the European Parliament as the transport spokesman—obviously covering road, rail, aviation and maritime—the huge push for smart motorways...

My Lords, the noble Baroness raises some serious and good points. However, I gently remind noble Lords of how these smart motorways came to pass. I recall that, in my

time in the European Parliament as the transport spokesman—obviously covering road, rail, aviation and maritime—the huge push for smart motorways...

My Lords, the Government’s failed rollout of smart motorways costs lives, which is exactly why Members of this House have long warned of serious flaws. It is a tragedy that lives were lost before action was taken, and it is thanks only to the dedication of bereaved families that the...

My Lords, the Government’s failed rollout of smart motorways costs lives, which is exactly why Members of this House have long warned of serious flaws. It is a tragedy that lives were lost before action was taken, and it is thanks only to the dedication of bereaved families that the...

Can the Minister explain why all this evidence was not contained in the Explanatory Memorandum, which she personally approved?

Can the Minister explain why all this evidence was not contained in the Explanatory Memorandum, which she personally approved?

My recollection, though I may have got it wrong, is that the standard for Explanatory Memorandums requires them to be easily understood by a person with no previous knowledge. The arguments that she has revealed to us, which may or may not be persuasive, are not available to people with...

My recollection, though I may have got it wrong, is that the standard for Explanatory Memorandums requires them to be easily understood by a person with no previous knowledge. The arguments that she has revealed to us, which may or may not be persuasive, are not available to people with...

The Minister has illustrated that it can be done in a reasonably concise way. She just went through all the arguments—I cannot say that I am convinced because I cannot see them all together on a piece of paper—but the length of her speech is not that long compared with...

The Minister has illustrated that it can be done in a reasonably concise way. She just went through all the arguments—I cannot say that I am convinced because I cannot see them all together on a piece of paper—but the length of her speech is not that long compared with...

Lords motion to regret. Motion withdrawn.

Lords motion to regret. Motion withdrawn.

Further to the Written Ministerial Statement made by my Right Honorable Friend, the Secretary of State for Transport (Grant Shapps) on Friday 26 November, which I repeated, I am today making a further Written Ministerial Statement to make a minor correction to the fourth paragraph. This statement has already been...

Further to the Written Ministerial Statement made by my Right Honorable Friend, the Secretary of State for Transport (Grant Shapps) on Friday 26 November, which I repeated, I am today making a further Written Ministerial Statement to make a minor correction to the fourth paragraph. This statement has already been...