Speeches by Alexander.

“My hon. Friend is a fine champion for his constituency and the fantastic city of Edinburgh. An expanded Heathrow could open up more regional connectivity to cities such as Edinburgh. Improving the rail network between our two capital cities is absolutely essential as well, and we are committed to doing that.”

“As I said in answer to a previous question, the work that the UK airspace design service will do to modernise our airspace will start with the London area. It will not be limited to the London area, but we need to make that a priority. I appreciate the case that my hon. Friend makes with respect to Bournemouth.”

“I totally agree with my hon. Friend. Let us be honest—it was not just eight wasted years, it was 14. I repeat what I said earlier: it comes to something that the previous Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, went to such lengths to duck these decisions that he ended up in Kabul.”

“I am sure it will not come as a surprise to my right hon. Friend to hear that I reject his characterisation of the work I am doing. I see the expansion as an opportunity to improve our connectivity as a nation, to improve UK competitiveness and to ensure that we deliver for businesses and passengers all across the UK. …”

“One of the four tests relates to economic growth across the whole of the UK, and when I talk about the whole of the UK, I mean the whole of the UK. I hope that provides the hon. Gentleman with sufficient reassurance.”

“The review of the airports national policy statement is site-specific for Heathrow. The other applications I have dealt with for Luton and Gatwick in the past couple of months were dealt with using the “making best use of runways” policy. The ANPS is specific to Heathrow.”

“We will do this properly. As Secretary of State for Transport, and as the person who may ultimately be the decision maker on any future planning application, I assure my hon. Friend that I will approach this issue with an open mind and will apply the highest standards of professionalism and probity to the process that …”

“In the ANPS, there will be a very thorough review of the noise requirements, and mitigations are set out in that document. I can give the hon. Gentleman a commitment that there will be meaningful engagement with his constituents.”

“Far be it from me to give a different answer from the one the Prime Minister gave. I can assure the hon. Gentleman that we will be looking at rail in detail through the ANPS review and the public transport requirements, in order to have an expanded Heathrow with a third runway that operates successfully.”

“Air quality will be one of the factors looked at through the ANPS review. Obviously, there may have been some changes in baseline conditions compared with when the ANPS was last designated back in 2018, given that the ultra low emission zone is in force now, but we do take the issue seriously and that is why it is one …”

“I agree that we need to deal with the issue of level crossings on the rail network. We will look holistically at rail requirements in the ANPS review.”

“There were probably three questions in one there. I say to my hon. Friend that I am not prepared to stand in the way of the public’s aspiration to fly. We are not looking at demand management at the moment; our approach to aviation decarbonisation is based on the analysis suggesting that the sector can make a significa…”

“How people get to and from an airport is as important as the number of planes landing and taking off, so I can give my hon. Friend an assurance that we will look at these issues closely. I point out that Transport for London is buying a new fleet of Piccadilly line trains that have higher capacity. It is part of a larg…”

“I can tell my hon. Friend that the current ANPS sets out very clear requirements on noise that any scheme would have to meet. We will review those requirements alongside any necessary mitigation requirements, and we will consult on any changes. I should also say that the rules around the operation of a night flight ban…”

“I would be very happy to meet my hon. Friend. He is right that in some instances, reopening branch lines on the rail network can be transformative for areas. I visited the opening of the Northumberland line in the first week I was in this job. Passenger numbers on that stretch of line have exceeded expectations and are…”

“Can I start by welcoming my hon. Friend the Member for Selby (Keir Mather) to my ministerial team? I am really pleased to have him on board, and I am sure he is equally pleased to be facing oral questions on day four. He is joining a great team that has achieved a lot over the summer as part of the Government’s plan fo…”

“I understand the frustration of the travelling public. We experienced a particularly dry summer this year and Network Rail had made preparations to deal with that, but I recognise that “dry soil” is as frustrating as “leaves on the line”. I will certainly look into the specific scheme that the hon. Gentleman suggests a…”

“I know that affordability is a top concern for people when it comes to rail. No decisions have been made on next year’s rail fares, but our aim is that prices will balance affordability for travellers with what is fair for taxpayers.”

“I know the importance of affordable public transport to people in Britain. I know the importance of the fuel duty freeze that we brought in last year. I assure the right hon. Gentleman that I will have conversations across Government to protect businesses and the travelling public.”

“Good rail infrastructure supports reliable services and economic growth, and is a central part of this Government’s growth mission. In July, I set out my priority for improvements to the rail network as part of giving the green light to over 50 road and rail upgrades, supporting over 39,000 new homes and 42,000 jobs. T…”