Speeches by Alexander.

“My hon. Friend makes a really important point. I am due to meet her and colleagues soon to discuss the resilience of the rail network, among other matters. I appreciate that a well-functioning, high-quality public transport system is absolutely essential to getting the economy firing on all cylinders.”

“I was as disappointed and, frankly, as angered as my hon. Friend when I learned of the council’s decision to withdraw funding from the Pokesdown station improvements scheme. I understand that a meeting is due to take place in the coming weeks, between the managing director of South Western Railway and the council, in a…”

“I am afraid that is just not true. Compared with 2024, EV sales increased by nearly a quarter in 2025, and nine in 10 drivers who switch would recommend an EV thanks to ease of use and a quieter, smoother driving experience. All the evidence suggests that once people get an electric vehicle, they never look back.”

“I am aware of that case from media reports. I am sure that the right hon. Gentleman is aware that it is a matter for the employer, Metroline. I understand that the case was taken to an employment tribunal where the employer’s decision was upheld. I am not aware of the full details and I will not be drawn further on the…”

“This Government remain fully committed to the zero emission vehicle transition and the ZEV mandate. In 2025, the UK had the largest electric vehicle market share of any major European economy, thanks to the certainty provided by clear Government policy and the £7.5 billion that we are investing by 2035 to support indus…”

“I do agree with my hon. Friend, who I know has expert knowledge of the charge point industry. The clarity that the ZEV mandate provides has triggered over £6 billion-worth of private sector investment in charging infrastructure, and it is one of the reasons why we have a brand-new gigafactory being built in Somerset an…”

“I can assure the hon. Gentleman that this Government take our national security duties very seriously. We are taking significant steps to support the UK car manufacturing sector, and we are also supporting consumers to make the transition to EVs, with over 44 models now available for the electric car grant that we anno…”

“I know that my hon. Friend takes an active interest in this issue, given the importance of bus manufacturing to his constituents in Falkirk. We are backing Britain’s bus manufacturers with long-term certainty through the 10-year zero emission bus pipeline and the work of the bus manufacturing expert panel. We have also…”

“I will ask my hon. Friend the Minister for Aviation to meet my hon. Friend to discuss her concerns, as I appreciate that this is a sensitive issue for many people. Airspace modernisation will provide huge benefits for air passengers, businesses and the UK economy, and the move to more efficient flight paths will be don…”

“That is precisely why we have established an accountability and transparency framework for local authorities, under which they need to report to us the amount of proactive resurfacing they are doing, which can obviously represent better value for money for the taxpayer. I know that people want to see contractors gettin…”

“I appreciate that certain roads and certain parts of the country face different challenges due to their geology. I will certainly raise the hon. Member’s point with the Roads Minister, and we will come back to him.”

“I am pleased that the expansion of Lumo services from Cumbernauld to London will soon benefit my hon. Friend’s constituents. The Department’s position on open access is clear: there will be a place for it in the reformed rail sector where it adds value. Great British Railways will oversee a rail network that delivers b…”

“I can tell the hon. Gentleman that we are already on this issue across the wider south-east. We are expanding the pay-as-you-go system with tap-in, tap-out technology, and further stations are due to come online. I am happy to talk about a further tranche beyond that, but we need to crack on with the ones that are alre…”

“The hon. Member may wish to tell his residents about the Government’s determination to tackle these issues. For example, we have doubled the fines that local authorities can charge utility companies when works overrun. I recognise how disruptive these works are for local communities, and it is an issue that the Governm…”

“My Department is working across Government and with partners, including the British Transport police and the transport industry, to ensure that everyone both feels safe and is safe when travelling. Our mainline railway is among the safest in Europe, and our recently published road safety strategy sets out our vision fo…”

“To drive investment in car manufacturing, this Government must provide some certainty about the direction of travel, and there is no doubt that the future is zero emission. We are working with the industry to deliver a successful transition, which is why we made the adjustments—the new flexibilities —that I announced l…”

“I am happy to arrange that meeting. Like my hon. Friend, I want Sunderland station to be at the heart of a vibrant community, and I pay tribute to him for his campaigning on the issue. I do expect Northern to work closely with him, businesses and the local community to further improve the station, and I look forward to…”

“I recognise that for local people, road closures can be one of the most disruptive aspects of major projects. I know that HS2 works very closely with highways authorities to minimise the impacts. Doing the essential work on the A38 in a single 11-day closure will avoid around six months of repeated full-weekend closure…”

“The hon. Lady is right to raise this issue. I have been in contact with the DVLA about this matter; it is putting new systems in place to ensure that it is doing everything that it can, as standard, to process these cases as quickly as possible. In the meantime, I have been keen to ensure that there is an escalation me…”

“I understand that the public toilets in Weymouth station have been closed for several years, due to antisocial behaviour and vandalism. That is unacceptable, and I can assure my hon. Friend that my Department will raise it with South Western Railway.”