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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
Great Western Main Line
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an estimate of the projected number of weekend closures that will take place on the Reading and London Paddington in the next 12 months.

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

I understand that Network Rail plans to close the Great Western Main Line in the Old Oak Common area on Sunday 17 November, Saturday 28 December and Sunday 29 December 2024 to enable both construction works for the new station at Old Oak Common as well as other essential works required in this area.


Written Question
European Company for the Financing of Railroad Rolling Stock Convention
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of the UK signing up to the European Company for the Financing of Railroad Rolling Stock convention.

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

The Government is supportive of international initiatives to help deliver new vehicles and upgrade existing fleets that improve passenger experience and support our decarbonisation objectives. We are committed to encouraging investment in domestic and international rail services and unlocking greater private financing to support this.

My officials have engaged regularly with Eurofima, the company established by the convention, to discuss the potential opportunities and costs associated with it. However, given the significant membership requirements of Eurofima, any decision would be subject to the usual value for money considerations.


Written Question
Railways: Public Appointments
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 recruitment process his Department followed for the recent appointment of the Director General for Rail Services on 18 March 2024.

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

On 18 March 2024 the Department for Transport announced the appointment of Alex Hynes to the role of Director General for Rail Services. Alex has been appointed through a time-bound secondment agreement with Network Rail. Appropriate approvals were sought and obtained including from the Cabinet Office, HM Treasury and Civil Service Commission.


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.


Written Question
Railways: Shrewsbury
Monday 25th 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 his permission was required for Avanti West Coast to withdraw its direct Shrewsbury to Euston service.

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

The Department is required to make decisions 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. 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.

Government support for the operational railway was almost £12 billion in the last financial year – equivalent to more than £420 per household. The Secretary of State’s decision to withdraw a service operating at a loss estimated at £1.4 million every year, was taken to help reduce public subsidy and restore the financial sustainability of the railway. No public consultation is planned as, given these clear financial constraints, meaningful consultation is not possible, as it would not alter the outcome.