Highland MP Drew Hendry branded the absence of a decision on airport expansion in the south-east of England from the Queen’s Speech the “jumbo in the room” yesterday.
The SNP’s transport spokesman also called for a commitment to retain the final emergency towing vessel (ETV) and reinstate a second.
And he urged the UK Government to deliver a “truly universal” mobile communications network.
Speaking in the Commons, Mr Hendry said: “Although nobody will be shocked by the lack of a commitment to deciding on airport expansion, it remains the jumbo in the room.
“I am certain that, freed from internal pressures, government ministers would have made a decision by now, but they remain paralysed by orders arising from internal party politics.”
The Conservatives have repeatedly faced accusations of kicking the Airports Commission’s final report – which recommended a third runway at Heathrow – into the long grass.
Prime Minister David Cameron had promised a decision by the end of last year, but it was put back to this summer so an environmental impact assessment could be carried out and the “best possible mitigation measures” considered.
Mr Hendry, who represents Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, also asked the government to provide more detail on developing an aerospace strategy.
The Queen’s Speech – which outlines the Tories’ programme for the next 12 months – included a Modern Transport Bill to put the UK at the “forefront of technology” for new forms of travel, such as driverless cars, drones and space planes.
On mobile phones, Mr Hendry warned against taking an approach which would only benefit some urban areas of the UK.
He added: “Future network licensing deals should include a requirement, in the conditions of the contracts, for rural areas to be prioritised.”
The MP welcomed the commitment to a universal service obligation for broadband, giving every household the legal right to access a high speed connection.
