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Written Question
East West Rail Line
Tuesday 26th March 2024

Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of East West Rail on science and technology activities in locations on that route.

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

The Government has a strong desire to maintain and enhance our position as a global science and technology superpower and we recognise the importance of the Oxford-Cambridge region as a globally renowned hub of science, research and innovation, with businesses and universities that are leading the way in life sciences, space and green technologies. At the East West Rail Route Update Announcement in May 2023, it was reconfirmed that East West Rail would approach to Cambridge from the south, serving the new Cambridge South station, and promoting greater economic growth given the proximity of the Biomedical Campus to Cambridge South station.


Written Question
Community Transport: Finance
Tuesday 26th March 2024

Asked by: Dave Doogan (Scottish National Party - Angus)

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 for volunteer led community transport schemes.

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

The Department makes available over £3 million each year to community transport operators through the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG), supporting them to continue delivering inclusive and accessible transport across the country.

An uplift of 60% has been added to BSOG claims for community transport operators until 31 March 2025. This means operators will receive £1.60 for every £1 claimed, reflecting the increased costs faced by the sector.

We also encourage Local Transport Authorities to engage with community transport operators when preparing their Bus Service Improvement Plans which are vital in setting out an areas’ long term plans for bus services and how they will be improved.

The bus fare cap, only available in England, has proven popular with bus passengers in communities across England, particularly in rural and non-metropolitan areas, where our statistics show the overall price of bus fares between September 2022 and September 2023 dropped by almost 11%.

Our £20 million Rural Mobility Fund (RMF) in England, also devolved, is supporting 16 innovative, demand-led minibus trials in rural and suburban areas across 16 local authorities in England. These pilots are exploring whether Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) can serve these communities more effectively than traditional public transport solutions alone.


Written Question
Railways: Passengers
Tuesday 26th March 2024

Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the accuracy of projected future rail passenger volumes made by consultancy Steer in its report entitled Research on Long-Term Passenger Demand Growth, published on 19 February 2024.

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

The Department is aware and has reviewed the report entitled Research on Long-Term Passenger Demand Growth by Steer. Rail demand is uncertain – especially over the long term. DfT produces a range of different future rail demand and revenue scenarios in line with our published guidance which have a number of uses including supporting investment decisions. The projections produced by RIA/Steer are not aligned methodologically with the Department’s Common Analytical Scenarios (CAS).


Written Question
North Road (Darlington) Station
Tuesday 26th March 2024

Asked by: Peter Gibson (Conservative - Darlington)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to help preserve the historic character of North Road Station during works to increase the stepping distance between the platform and the train.

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

The station is still under consideration for Northern’s ongoing platform improvement programme, but all issues and aspects of the station are being assessed which will include the historic character.


Written Question
Railways: Shrewsbury
Tuesday 26th March 2024

Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had recent discussions with Avanti West Coast on the withdrawal of the direct Euston to Shrewsbury service.

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

Department officials routinely engage with Avanti and its Owning Group over many areas, including timetabling decisions.

The Department specifies the train services to be operated by train companies including Avanti West Coast through National Rail Contracts. As part of industry wide efforts to align timetables to changing demand patterns and restore the financial stability of the railway, the Government asked all operators to present cost saving options. Due to very low passenger numbers, the service between Shrewsbury and London is currently operating at a loss of £1.4 million per year. We cannot ask taxpayers to maintain the historically high level of financial support for the industry indefinitely, so the service will be withdrawn from June 2024. West Midlands Railway (WMR) and Transport for Wales provide sufficient capacity for passengers between Shrewsbury and Birmingham, and the Department has agreed that WMR will introduce a second hourly Birmingham to Shrewsbury semi-fast service in June 2024 to operate via the Stour Valley and provide quicker journey time between Shropshire towns and Birmingham.


Written Question
High Speed 2 Line: Compulsory Purchase
Tuesday 26th March 2024

Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had discussions with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors on allegations in relation to agents working on behalf of HS2's property acquisition team.

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

Officials in the Department engaged on HS2-related land and property matters meet periodically with their counterparts in RICS to update each other and to discuss issues of mutual interest. The conduct of RICS members generally and the oversight of professional standards by RICS is one issue that has been discussed, although those discussions have not narrowed to consider specifically the conduct of RICS members employed by or otherwise contracted to HS2 Ltd. Neither the Department nor HS2 Ltd has received any notification of an investigation by RICS into HS2 Ltd or its suppliers. The Department and HS2 Ltd would always give RICS their full support in the event of any allegations being raised.


Written Question
High Speed 2 Line: Compulsory Purchase
Tuesday 26th March 2024

Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure good practice by agents working for HS2's property acquisition team.

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

The Department expects any agent contracted to HS2 Ltd to maintain high professional standards. As members of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), HS2 Ltd’s suppliers must adhere to the RICS rules of conduct and any RICS professional statements relevant to the advice they provide. HS2 Ltd continuously monitors supplier performance through regular case review meetings and supplier relationship management meetings.


Written Question
Unadopted Roads: Repairs and Maintenance
Tuesday 26th March 2024

Asked by: Lisa Nandy (Labour - Wigan)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department are taking to enforce the repair of potholes by owners of unadopted roads where such damage poses a danger to (a) traffic and (b) the public.

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

This is a matter for local highway authorities.

Under the 1980 Highways Act, the highway authority is responsible for the management of those streets that have been adopted by it, or its predecessor authorities. A road that is not maintained at public expense by a highway authority is known as a private street, as defined by Section 203(2) of the Act. The responsibility for management of private streets generally rests with those who own properties that either front onto or border the street concerned (known as “frontagers”).

Under section 230 of the 1980 Highways Act the local highway authority has the power, without commitment to adoption, to require the frontagers of a private street to carry out urgent repairs, within in a set time limit, to prevent danger to road users or the public. This is, however, entirely a matter for local authorities.


Written Question
Local Transport Fund
Tuesday 26th March 2024

Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Bosworth)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his planned timetable is for providing local authorities (a) information on (i) funding profiles and (ii) conditions and (b) guidance on spending for funding allocated through the Local Transport Fund.

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

The Department is working with His Majesty’s Treasury to agree the funding profile for the Local Transport Fund as well as the split between capital and revenue funding. The Department will provide advice for local transport authorities shortly on the scope, process and accountability framework for the new funding, to ensure that local authorities can develop delivery plans to make the most of it.


Written Question
Freight
Tuesday 26th March 2024

Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress his Department has made on identifying a National Freight Network.

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

We are making good progress. The Government's current focus is on building stronger data and analysis of freight as a multi-modal system. We will be engaging with the freight and logistics sector as the work to identify a National Freight Network develops.