Forget Theresa May rushing to the Commons to make an urgent statement on why the Anderson report was absolutely right to recommend that the intelligence agencies should maintain their right to collect bulk data. Forget George Osborne finding himself unexpectedly tied up and sending along Harriett Baldwin, one of his Treasury ministerial juniors, in his place to explain his decision for the government to take a £7bn bath in its stake in RBS. These were just window dressings for the day’s main action – at least as far as most MPs were concerned.
Transport questions are where ordinary backbenchers get their moment in the limelight: the chance to stick up for their constituents by drawing attention to the state of the roads and railways on their own patch. In the final transport questions of the last parliament, there were a great many Tory backbenchers defending marginal seats queueing to thank the transport secretary for having conjured up some cash to fix the potholes in their own constituencies, but in other areas of the country, the state of the roads are still a grave cause for concern.
Stephen McPartland, Conservative member for Stevenage, wanted an urgent update on the widening of the A1(M). Junior minister Andrew Jones was happy to confirm that the A1(M) would be becoming a Smart Motorway; not so smart that he could say when it was opening, although the motorway had promised to keep him informed of its progress. There were also intercessions made on behalf of the A438, the A55, sliproads on the A50, the Blyth Bridge roundabout, the A13, the A127 and the A15. By the time Jones was called on to give his opinion on the new Dart Charge, his face had broken into a broad grin as if he had been struck by the absurdity of the demands being made of his ministerial satnav.
Inevitably, it wasn’t long before some of the more off-message – or perhaps, self-interested – Tory backbenchers got round to trickier matters. Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin spent most of the last couple of years trying to kick the finalisation of the details of London’s new runway and HS2 into the long grass. Both schemes are most controversial for Conservative MPs whose backyards are affected, and McLoughlin had been keen not to rock any boats before the election.
Now, to his evident consternation, McLoughlin is not only back in post, but no longer has any Lib Dems to blame, and sooner or later he will be called on to make a decision. Later appears to be his preferred option. Much later. Perhaps after the 2020 election. “The Davies report into the third runway has yet to be published,” he reminded everyone, making a mental note to let Sir Howard know he could have all the time he wanted. “But when it is, I shall of course come back to the House with it.” What he would do with it once he had brought it back was not entirely clear. Though a very long further consultation process giving everyone plenty of opportunity to absorb its implications would be essential.
Much the same thoroughness was demanded of the HS2 proposals, McLoughlin insisted. “We must take one step at a time,” he said, wiping his brow with exhaustion. No one could ever accuse the transport secretary of taking performance-enhancing drugs. Chelmsford MP Simon Burns did wonder if HS2 was being “slowed down by the antiquated processes involved”. The very idea! “Not at all,” replied a shocked and injured McLoughlin. “We are making good progress.” That’s “good” as in “no”.
SNP MP Drew Hendry was anxious for assurances that HS2 should benefit Scotland every bit as much as England, and that the minister should chat to Holyrood as soon as possible. McLoughlin’s look of boredom said it all. Why bother? HS2 is never going to make it as far as the Chilterns, so talk of going to Edinburgh is a wee bit premature.
