Justin Madders

I congratulate the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Dr Pinkerton) on securing this debate on this packed Friday afternoon here in the Chamber. [Laughter.] I do not think the attendance is any reflection on the passion and dedication that he has shown to this particular issue. He has been a remarkably consistent campaigner on these issues in his constituency since election. The hon. Gentleman raised a number of issues, the first of which was the A322/M3 junction 3. As he rightly pointed out, our strategic road network is one of our most vital pieces of infrastructure. Our motorways and major A roads form the backbone of connectivity across England. They link our towns and cities, ports and airports and are relied on by millions of people and businesses every day. He spoke very clearly about the frustration that some of his constituents feel about congestion. I note the hon. Gentleman’s commitment to trying to resolve this issue. Not only has he secured this debate, but he has engaged more widely with National Highways and Government on this matter. He is clearly a very strong advocate for his constituents, businesses and local road users—indeed, he noted the fact that many of the local road users may not be his constituents. In March 2026, this Government published the third road investment strategy, which produced £27 billion in funding to improve the strategic road network, including almost £25 billion to operate, maintain, renew and enhance it, alongside a set of new national programmes focused on safety, the environment, congestion and growth. As part of that, National Highways is considering M3 junction 3 and the link with the A322 through the small schemes national programme, with, he will be pleased to hear, a focus on addressing congestion. I will not raise expectations by committing to a timetable today, but I have been assured that the scheme is being considered alongside a number of others and that work progresses on it. As that work continues, National Highways will engage with local stakeholders, including the hon. Gentleman, to fully understand the issue and consider potential mitigations. I am sure that the hon. Gentleman will be able to engage with that process. The hon. Gentleman also raised the question of speeding on local roads. As he will know, local speed limits are set by local traffic authorities, which are best placed to understand the needs of their communities and road networks. The Department provides guidance through the setting local speed limits framework to support authorities in making evidence-based decisions that reflect local circumstances. The Government are committed to improving road safety and support local authorities in taking appropriate action where there are concerns about road risk. Decisions on speed limits and wider road safety interventions should be based on local evidence and the characteristics of the road. The Department is currently updating the guidance on setting local speed limits following the publication of the road safety strategy. This work will continue to support local authorities in making informed and evidence-led speed management decisions. Turning to railways, we are spending over £10 billion over the next four years to improve the network, from upgrading the trans-Pennine route to progressing the next stage of East West Rail, delivering high-impact improvements for communities and passengers. The Railways Bill will create Great British Railways—a new publicly owned company that will be responsible for managing most of the tracks and trains used by customers every day. The Bill places passengers back at the heart of the railway. It provides the framework to ensure a robust, high-quality offer for passengers to instil confidence in our railways and attract more people to use them, with a powerful passenger watchdog established by the Bill to advocate for passengers at every turn. GBR will take responsibility for the day-to-day operational running of the railways, from delivering services to setting timetables, managing access to the network and operating, maintaining and renewing infrastructure. This simplified railway will encourage more rail freight, with two statutory duties included in the Bill to ensure support for this, helping to reduce congestion on our roads and making rail a greener, more attractive choice. GBR will also support local growth, create jobs and improve connectivity. The hon. Member mentioned the issue of connectivity for his constituents and the fact that there is currently no direct route from Camberley to London Waterloo via the south west main line. I understand that most passengers must therefore change at Ash Vale or Ascot. We absolutely recognise the strength of local campaigning to restore that connection. Surrey county council’s 2016 Camberley rail assessment examined two options for providing direct services from the Frimley line to Waterloo, and both envisaged two trains an hour calling at Brookwood and Woking before running fast to Waterloo, cutting journeys towards London by almost 20 minutes. However, I have to be candid with the hon. Gentleman about the constraints we face. Reinstating this line would be extremely costly, and the present timetable and infrastructure cannot reliably accommodate two additional trains an hour into Waterloo. Replacing existing mainline services with Camberley services would reduce provision elsewhere, increase pressure on alternatives and, of course, be extremely expensive. There is, however, some practical progress, although I know it will not be all that the hon. Member wants to hear. An accessibility scheme at Ash Vale is now funded for delivery, and, although that station falls outside his constituency, new lifts will make interchange easier for residents of Camberley in Surrey Heath and strengthen Ash Vale’s role as a local transport hub. I also understand that South Western Railway is developing a refreshed timetable to improve reliability and resilience and make better use of the new Arterio fleet, which reflects how passengers travel today. Its priority will be a dependable service, while taking account of customer demand, higher-capacity trains and changes to the network. I will move on to the issue of Frimley Park hospital. I am aware that the hon. Member has spoken about this issue a number of times, and he is right to raise these important questions on behalf of his constituents. I agree with him that as these plans are brought forward, it is important to ensure that both local people and staff are able to access the new facilities easily. He will know that these access questions will be considered through the planning, consultation and application process run by the council. I will take the concerns he has raised over funding for the access issues he has mentioned back to the Department of Health and Social Care to see if we can get some clarity on that, but he will know that planning applications are best dealt with by the local authority. On the question of the local authority, the hon. Member will be cognisant of the fact that Surrey will be moving to two new unitary authorities from April next year, which we firmly believe will bring greater opportunity to bring transport and economic planning closer together in the holistic and sensible way that the hon. Member would like. The Government are also working with local partners towards establishing a strategic authority for Surrey, which should enhance that even further. I am sure that the hon. Gentleman will work with local authorities through that process to support the benefits of devolution, and we will work with him and local stakeholders to ensure that his concerns are raised. Finally, the hon. Gentleman raised bus services, which are an important part of the transport network. I think that the new Prime Minister’s commitment to buses is well documented and evidenced from his early actions. The Bus Services Act 2025 also gives greater freedom to local authorities in how they deliver bus services, making it easier for them to actually consider bus franchising. The Department can also provide significant grant funding to the local authority area for Surrey county council of £33 million in the years 2026 to 2029. We are absolutely clear that an integrated and reliable bus service is a hugely important part of transport infrastructure. I will conclude by thanking the hon. Gentleman for bringing forward this debate and for his continued advocacy on behalf of his constituency. Question put and agreed to.