MPs were back to work last week, after the Christmas period, and I returned to Parliament keen to see if the Government had answered my questions about their promised Expressway ‘review’ and the continued delays to the Lodge Hill junction.

What I found was very disappointing. I had asked detailed questions about the Expressway, including the timescale and cost. I was given the same short response: “We will provide an update on whether the project should continue in due course.”

The Minister needs to act on this, and act now. The Conservatives were very clear during the election: if a majority Tory government was elected, they would review the plans for the eight-lane motorway. They had clearly realised just how unpopular their plans were.

My preference is for them to scrap the Expressway and get on and spend the money on better, and more environmentally-friendly, public transport and active travel.

We need to invest in sustainable transport in Oxfordshire and beyond, as citizens grapple with the climate emergency and increasingly move away from cars. I have long championed a fully electrified East-West Rail, and that could still become a reality.

But having promised a review, the Government should deliver one. Instead, it looks like we are in for more delays and ‘in due course’ announcements.

The public consultation that had been promised is on ice while this ‘review’ is on the cards. The result is that nothing is happening at all.

Rest assured that I will do everything I can to get answers from the Government on this. I’ve already followed up on their response to ask when they will give us any update.

Before Christmas, I also asked the Government how long residents would have to wait for the Lodge Hill junction upgrade on the A34 near Abingdon to be completed. I did at least get a proper answer to this one. The Minister said the aim was completion in early 2022. So, we’ll have to wait another two years for these slips to be built.

This is the latest in a series of delays. In early November, it was reported that there had been a further delay. I wrote to Grant Shapps to ask him to urgently review the situation. I will continue to make the case for the junction to be upgraded before the new houses north of Abingdon are built or occupied.

I have asked the Department for Transport to work with Highways England and Oxfordshire County Council to find a way to bring forward Lodge Hill’s completion. I will continue to press Ministers on these and other local issues. My first priority will continue to be to stand up for my constituents.