Graham Stringer (Manchester, Blackley) (Lab): My final point is about the figures, which are difficult to get, and this is a dramatic way of looking at them. In London over the next 10 years, around £80 billion of capital will be invested in transport, and the mayoral candidates last year claimed that they would invest £40 billion during their period of office, and the figure is about that. The figures are extraordinary, and I gave the per capita figures. The figures - they are very loose and difficult to get to - are 30 to 40 times greater than the investment that is going into the North-West of England. That simply cannot be justified on any basis that I can understand. I hope that all political parties take note: if we want this country to be as wealthy as it should be and the environment to be as good as it can be, we need to use the strength of our regional cities, which means supporting the transport infrastructure that goes to them, so that they can play their part in the economic growth of the country.
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Mr. David Clelland (Tyne Bridge): I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Hillsborough (Ms Smith) on securing this important debate, which is set against the background of massive investment in our railways, improvements to existing railways and the floating of proposals for High Speed 2. The Government can be congratulated on the investment that has gone into the railway system.
Regrettably, little of that investment impacts directly on the north and particularly the North-East - an irony, it might be argued, given that the railway system was born in the North-East, which gave the country its first railway line. My colleagues and I are therefore putting the case for the north. Although we appreciate the need for investment in the south's transport infrastructure, we want to draw attention to the imbalance in the allocation of resources to the north and the south. That has been admirably highlighted by my hon. Friends the Members for Sheffield, Hillsborough and for Manchester, Blackley (Graham Stringer), so I will not repeat the figures.
Transport infrastructure is crucial to the economic and social development of our regions. That is true of every region, but it is even truer of the North-East. Our inter-regional and intra-regional transport corridors leave much to be desired. Our road and rail infrastructure badly need investment and improvement, as well as an integrated approach that boosts investment and social mobility across the region and beyond.
The east coast main line is a major artery, linking the North-East to Scotland to the north, and linking it to London and stops in between to the south. It provides a good service and it is popular, but recent events are worrying. Ministers need to reassure us that the trains will keep running and that the staff will continue to be paid, and we look forward to this afternoon's statement on the issue.
The North-East's economy has traditionally lagged behind the national average, but it has held up well in recent years, even in the face of national and international economic difficulties. It is a credit to our businesses, our local authorities and the Government that that is the case. However, if we are to maintain and improve on the progress that has been made, we cannot afford to rest on our laurels. We need to continue to improve the conditions that are essential if business is to thrive and employment is to grow. That means that High Speed 2 must come to the North-East. It also means that we must ensure a high degree of mobility in the region.
Two rail projects in particular could make a major contribution to the economic and social future of the North-East and could, with a little encouragement from the Department for Transport, become a reality. The first, which was mentioned by the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed (Sir Alan Beith), is the Ashington, Blyth and Tyne railway, which would be a fully operational system linking Ashington, Bedlington and Blyth to Newcastle. Reintroducing passenger services on the lines involved would encourage economic development, facilitate social mobility, relieve congestion on Northumberland's busy roads and reduce the traffic that ends up in Newcastle city centre. It would also be better for the environment than the car movements that it would replace.
The second project is the Leamside line - another operational railway line that became redundant in the 1960s, but which, given today's increased traffic and overcrowded trains, offers a real source of relief and an important connection between the Tyne and Tees valleys, linking Newcastle and Middlesbrough with useful stops along the way, including, not least, Washington New Town.
Those two projects would cost a tiny fraction of Crossrail, they would involve little disruption and they would contribute greatly to the prospects of the North-East and its people. I therefore look forward to signs of encouragement from the Minister and to a more optimistic prognosis for the North-East's transport infrastructure.
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Mr. Clelland: The hon. Gentleman mentioned his party's policy of extending High Speed 2 to Leeds, but he missed out Newcastle. Will he explain why?
Stephen Hammond: All transport networks have to start somewhere, and we hope that it will be the first phase in the roll-out of the high-speed network. The Minister will of course want to confirm that the Government plan to take high-speed rail only to Rugby. Our policy is to take it further; we see it as part of a network strategy.
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