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Written Question
Chiltern Line
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Davies of Gower on 6 March (HL2701), whether they have received any representations from Chiltern Railways about ending the direct access services between Northolt Junction and Paddington.

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

There are no plans to reinstate direct access services from Northolt Junction to Paddington.

Chiltern Railways used to run a twice-daily service from Northolt Junction (i.e. South Ruislip Station) to London Paddington. In December 2018, this route was cancelled with the closure of the Acton to Northolt line to enable High Speed 2 works. Chiltern Railways made representations to alternatively run to West Ealing via the Greenford branch line, however this was not possible due to Crossrail capacity constraints.


Written Question
Roads: Repairs and Maintenance
Monday 25th March 2024

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

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance Survey Report, published on 19 March 2024.

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

The Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously, which is why it has reallocated £8.3 billion of HS2 funding to help tackle some of the issues highlighted in the report in question. This funding will be on top of what local authorities were expecting to receive over the next decade, and will, over time, allow them to transform the condition of their local highway networks.


Written Question
Railways: North of England
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Davies of Gower on 6 March (HL2700), when they expect the train service specification for the TransPennine route to be finalised and approved.

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

Network Rail will be using standard industry processes to progressively formalise train service changes as the programme progresses, in line with the TransPennine Route Upgrade’s (TRU’s) key delivery milestones. The last stage of the fully approved timetables will be in place in the early 2030s when the full service uplift, which TRU enables, is able to come on line.


Written Question
Active Travel: Economic Situation
Monday 25th March 2024

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

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of Create Streets' report entitled Move Free, published on 19 March 2024.

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

The Honourable Gentleman for Leeds North East introduced me at the launch of the report, where I spoke. I have read it, and will ensure the Department and Active Travel England take its findings into account in the development of future policy and programmes.


Written Question
Oxford Station: Disability
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Network Rail concerning access by disabled people to Oxford station during the period of construction works there.

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

I understand that Network Rail has consulted with local accessibility groups in planning its current construction works at Oxford station. During construction, access within the station will be unaffected by the works and considerably improved with the delivery of the new western entrance.


Written Question
Parking: Fees and Charges
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Gen Kitchen (Labour - Wellingborough)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of allocating additional funding to (a) towns and (b) villages with free parking to help maintain those free services.

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

Local authorities are at liberty to provide free or charged parking. The Department for Transport is taking steps through the Plan for Drivers to ensure that enforcement is fair and proportionate.


Written Question
Railways: Compensation
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Davies of Gower on 6 March (HL2702), whether any proportion of the costs of the Delay Repay scheme have resulted in a direct cost to public funds; and if so, how much.

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

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, when revenues dropped very significantly, the Government introduced emergency agreements that transferred day-to-day revenue and cost risks to the Department. These agreements protected services that key workers depended on. Under the agreements, the Government effectively receives the revenue and pays an operator’s reasonable costs, subject to the revenue incentive mechanism introduced recently to encourage operators to grow patronage and revenues.

Operators are compensated by the Government for all reasonable costs incurred that are accumulated in accordance with the terms of the contract, including those in relation to Delay Repay.

Payments made to rail passengers for Delay Repay as well as discretionary compensation are published annually, and for 2022-23 totalled £101 million.


Written Question
P&O Ferries
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions his Department has had with P&O Ferries.

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

We welcome P&O Ferries’ statement that it is committed to signing the Seafarers’ Charter, following Brittany Ferries, Condor, DFDS and Stena Line in committing to work towards meeting its requirements.

Following P&O Ferries’ commitment, officials met representatives of the company on Monday 18 March for a technical discussion on how compliance with the Charter requirements should be demonstrated. We anticipate further such discussions.


Written Question
Pedicabs: Licensing
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on (a) the number of pedicabs outside Greater London that are licensed as (i) taxis and (ii) private hire vehicles and (b) the number and proportion of those pedicabs that are in (A) Oxford, (B) Salisbury, (C) Bristol and (D) Cambridge; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact on the number of licensed pedicabs of paragraph 8.3 of his Department's guidance entitled Taxi and private hire vehicle licensing best practice guidance for licensing authorities in England, updated on 17 November 2023.

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

Outside London pedicabs can be licensed as taxis. Pedicabs cannot be licensed as a private hire vehicle as legislation defines a private hire vehicle as a motor vehicle. The Department for Transport issues guidance on licensing taxis and private hire vehicles to authorities who should consider the recommendations made and their obligation under the Regulators’ Code to carry out their activities in a way that supports those they regulate to comply and grow. The Best Practice Guidance to licensing authorities in England sets out that where there is local interest in providing pedicab services, licensing authorities should make appropriate adjustments to their licensing requirements for drivers and vehicles to accommodate these requests. Subject to the legal requirements, it is for licensing authorities to consider the appropriate licensing requirements to operate a pedicab under a taxi and taxi driver licence.

The Department does not hold data on the number of pedicabs licensed as taxis in England.


Written Question
Pedicabs: Licensing
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to paragraph 8.3 of his Department's publication entitled Taxi and private hire vehicle licensing best practice guidance for licensing authorities in England, updated on 17 November 2023, what guidance his Department plans to provide on the appropriate adjustments that licensing authorities should make to their licensing requirements for drivers and vehicles to provide pedicab services outside Greater London.

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

Outside London pedicabs can be licensed as taxis. Pedicabs cannot be licensed as a private hire vehicle as legislation defines a private hire vehicle as a motor vehicle. The Department for Transport issues guidance on licensing taxis and private hire vehicles to authorities who should consider the recommendations made and their obligation under the Regulators’ Code to carry out their activities in a way that supports those they regulate to comply and grow. The Best Practice Guidance to licensing authorities in England sets out that where there is local interest in providing pedicab services, licensing authorities should make appropriate adjustments to their licensing requirements for drivers and vehicles to accommodate these requests. Subject to the legal requirements, it is for licensing authorities to consider the appropriate licensing requirements to operate a pedicab under a taxi and taxi driver licence.

The Department does not hold data on the number of pedicabs licensed as taxis in England.