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Written Question
Ports
Monday 18th March 2024

Asked by: Karl Turner (Labour - Kingston upon Hull East)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations his Department has received from DP World on maritime and ports policy since 17 March 2022.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department has received contact from DP World on the following maritime and port related issues:

From February 2023, DP World met Department officials on the progress of design and implementation of their Modal Shift incentivisation scheme at DP World’s Port of Southampton facility, which Rail officials acknowledged.

In November 2023, DP World wrote to seek an opportunity to discuss DP World’s continued investment in the UK, and reset the relationship with the Government after a period of non engagement with the Department following the P&O Ferries sackings.

More recently, last week the Department was notified of P&O Ferries’ intent to sign the Seafarers’ Charter.


Written Question
Channel Ferries
Monday 18th March 2024

Asked by: Karl Turner (Labour - Kingston upon Hull East)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he last held discussions with DP World on the operation of cross channel ferry services.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The current Secretary of State and Department for Transport Ministers have held no discussions with DP World on the operation of cross-channel ferry services. Last week, DP World and P&O Ferries notified the Department it is committed to signing the Seafarers’ Charter.


Written Question
Eurostar: Ashford International Station
Monday 18th March 2024

Asked by: Damian Green (Conservative - Ashford)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with Eurostar on reopening international rail services from Ashford since 1 January 2024.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

I fully recognise the important benefits international rail services provide for the areas and communities they serve, including for the people and businesses in Kent. I last met with Eurostar in December 2023 and emphasised the UK Government’s desire to see the return of international services at Ebbsfleet and Ashford as soon as reasonably possible.

My officials have and will continue to engage regularly with Eurostar on this matter and press for the reinstatement of services at Kent stations once it is commercially viable for them to do so.


Written Question
Railways: Finance
Monday 18th March 2024

Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 31 January 2024 to Question 11059 on Railways: Finance, how much was spent on rail enhancements in (a) 2019, (b) 2020, (c) 2021, (d) 2022 and (e) 2023.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Rail enhancements are delivered through the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline, which has spent the following in each year in CP6 (including contributions to 3rd party schemes), from 2019 (figures shown in £m, nominal):

a) 2019/20: £1,475m

b) 2020/21: £1,477m

c) 2021/22: £1,685m

d) 2022/23: £1,840m

e) 2023/24: £2,156*

* (outturn data for 2023/24 is provisional and is subject to change)


Written Question
Railway Signals: Cambridge
Monday 18th March 2024

Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 31 January 2024 to Question 11055 on Railway Signals: Cambridge, what his Department's timeframe is for the development of a business case for the re-signalling of Ely Junction.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The recently announced Network North programme of investment included confirmation of government’s support for the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement (EACE) programme and the substantial benefits this will bring, including a doubling of passenger services on the Ely to Kings Lynn and Ipswich to Peterborough routes together with additional freight paths into the Port of Felixstowe.

Network Rail have developed the scheme to Outline Business Case stage; next steps will involve further investment case development and delivery planning.


Written Question
Railways: North of England
Monday 18th March 2024

Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what (a) reporting mechanisms and (b) governance structures are in place to oversee spending on the Transpennine Route Upgrade project.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

TRU is overseen by a Programme Board comprising senior DfT, Network Rail, Train Operating Companies and freight industry members, it also includes independent non-Executives and an Independent Chair to ensure robust challenge. The DfT's Senior Responsible Owner retains overall accountability for successful delivery of the project.


Written Question
Electric Vehicles: Charging Points
Monday 18th March 2024

Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2024 to Question 11316 on Motorcycles: Carbon Emissions, what engagement his Department plans to undertake with the L-Category industry on the development of EV charging infrastructure in the next six months.

Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department has engaged extensively with the L-Category sector since the publication of the Transport Decarbonisation Plan in July 2021 and will continue to do so to support its transition to zero emission vehicles whenever appropriate.


Written Question
Roads: Finance
Monday 18th March 2024

Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to paragraph 4.12 of the Spring Budget 2024, HC 560, what the core level of funding for local roads was before the additional £8.3 billion was announced.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

In the 2023/24 financial year, the base level of funding before the additional £8.3 billion multi-year funding uplift was announced was £1.15 billion. This included the one-off £200 million uplift announced in Budget 2023. Prior to this the 2021 Spending Review had confirmed that the core level of funding for local highway maintenance would be a total of £915 million per year, to be shared between all eligible local highway authorities in England over the period 2022/23 to 2024/25. Authorities in London and in receipt of City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) are treated separately.

Funding allocations for highways maintenance can be found on GOV.UK.


Written Question
Electric Vehicles: Charging Points
Monday 18th March 2024

Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for designating a standard sign for use on highways to indicate the location of electric vehicles charging stations; and whether they have any plans to initiate such a scheme.

Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department has published guidance on the design and use of a standard sign indicating the location of on-street EV charging bays, and conditions of their use, in the Traffic Signs Manual.

The Government recognises that traffic authorities must strike an appropriate balance between the provision of adequate information and over-provision of traffic signs. The Department’s guidance should help traffic authorities deliver this balance.

Best practice guidance regarding the provision of signage for EV chargepoints has also been included in Publicly Available Standard (PAS) 1899, published by the British Standards Institution in 2022.


Written Question
Roads: Safety
Monday 18th March 2024

Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 February 2024 to Question 13143 on Roads: Safety, and with reference to the Answer of 28 February 2023 to Question 150393 on Roads: Safety, whether it remains his policy to publish an updated Road Safety Strategic Framework.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government is committed to road safety, and we are working on a number of measures to keep our roads and road users safe.