Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage has continued her fight for improved transport infrastructure on the south coast during Business Questions in the House of Commons this morning.
Caroline called on the Leader of the House, Andrew Lansley MP, to invite MPs to debate the longstanding problems faced by commuters in the Solent region.
She asked:
"Commuters on the south coast have been struggling with an inadequate transport infrastructure for decades. Gosport is the largest town in the UK without a railway, it takes longer to travel on the fast train from Portsmouth to London than it does to go from London to Doncaster, and the A32 and M27 are both virtually at gridlock. I wondered if the Leader of the House would agree to have a debate on the transport infrastructure in the Solent region?"
The Leader of the House replied:
"I may say on behalf of the Government, from our point of view, I will of course get a reply from my Honourable Friend at the Department of Transport, which of course reflects not least the fact that we have the largest investment in railways in this country since the Victorian era."
Speaking outside the Chamber, Caroline commented:
"Whilst northern cities and London boroughs are receiving considerable transport improvements thanks to HS2 and Crossrail, commuters in our area still face a daily battle with our roads and lengthy journeys on the train. Debating the matter with other MPs and Government Ministers would be a prime opportunity to shine a light on this longstanding issue."
Since her election, Caroline has remained committed to tackling local transport problems. Last year, she welcomed Secretary of State for Transport, Patrick McLoughlin MP, and Transport Minister, Norman Baker MP, to the Gosport constituency and urged them to help local stakeholders improve the peninsula's transport infrastructure.