A busy week in Parliament
Posted by Ashok Kumar, MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, at 16:35, Thu 8 March 2007:
Last week I spoke in the House of Commons on the need to improve rail links to the Teesport complex, a key driver for the local economy. The port owners, PD Ports, have ambitious proposals for expansion, looking to capitalise on the growth in container shipping and Teesport’s proximity to key markets in the north. However, as it stands, there are numerous obstacles and there is insufficient capacity for transporting modern (larger) containers on the railways to and from Teesport. I feel that it would greatly increase the port’s chances of success if these links can be upgraded.
The Minister for Transport confirmed that the rail improvements I advocated are under review and has agreed to meet the port management. The proposed development would be a great boost for the area, creating up to 6,000 local jobs, so I hope we can implement the necessary changes.
Another issue I raised on transport is one that many people in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland have expressed their concern over. I asked the Secretary of State for Transport, on the floor of the House, what steps would be taken to ensure a reliable bus service when there is one dominant bus operator in an area. This problem was highlighted by recent changes to the Arriva bus services in East Cleveland which cause mayhem for many of my constituents.
The minister acknowledged that stronger governance is needed to safeguard our bus services and I look forward to seeing the proposals on this. Bus subsidy has almost doubled in real terms under Labour since 1997 and I have every confidence that Government will continue to build on this record.
Finally, as I am sure you will have seen in the news, the House of Commons recently voted on options to reform the House of Lords. My preferred option was to replace the existing House with a fully elected second Chamber. Therefore I was pleased to see MPs agreeing on this after the failure to reach any agreement in 2003. This, I feel, is an important step for democracy in this country.
If you wish to get in touch with me about any of these issues, or on any other matters, please do not hesitate to do so by calling 01287 610878, e-mailing ashokkumarmp@parliament.uk, or writing to Ashok Kumar MP, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA. Alternatively feel free to leave comments on the website www.hearfromyourmp.com to join in the debate.
Best wishes
Ashok
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