Richard Drax, MP for South Dorset, today asked the Chancellor, George Osborne for more rail investment to Weymouth and Portland.

Speaking at Prime Ministers’ Questions, where the Chancellor was deputising for the Prime Minister for the first time, Drax said,

“Figures released today show that the number of jobseeker’s allowance claimants in my constituency has dropped over the past five years by nearly 60%.”

“May I thank my right hon. Friend for his recent letter, and may I ask him to agree that further rail investment to Weymouth and Portland will increase jobs and prosperity in my constituency?”

Mr Osborne replied, “My hon. Friend has raised with me the case of the particularly slow rail service to Weymouth and Portland, and we will look into it. We are making a massive commitment to the south-west - a £7 billion programme - which is the biggest ever commitment of infrastructure to the south-west and I will look to see what we can do to improve the rail service for his constituents so that we properly connect up the south-west.”

Drax has already warmly welcomed the £50 million rail infrastructure improvement scheme announced for South West trains in March, and asked Prime Minister David Cameron at PMQ’s then whether anything further could be done to “further boost the economy in South Dorset.”

Help is still needed, says Drax. “The problem is that the eight carriage trains currently end at Bournemouth. After that, they are reduced to five carriages which run more slowly.”

“The problem is lack of infrastructure; we need more power and upgraded rails.”

“Then we can build on this astonishing growth in jobs in South Dorset – almost 60% in five years – and bring real prosperity to our constituency.”