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Written Question
Railways: Carbon Emissions
Monday 25th 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 adequacy of Network Rail's Traction Decarbonisation Network Strategy.

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

The Traction Decarbonisation Network Strategy (TDNS) was published by Network Rail in 2020 and primarily recommended electrification as a means to decarbonise the rail network.

The TDNS was used by Government as a guide for decision making. However, alternative traction technologies, such as battery and bi-mode trains, will also play key roles in our transition to Net Zero. We are progressing work on a whole systems approach to decarbonisation by ensuring both track and train are considered.

The Government still expects electrification to play an important role in our programme to achieve our Net Zero 2050 target, which is why since 2010, more than 1,250 miles of electrification has been delivered in Great Britain, including over 900 miles in England and Wales in the last 11 years.


Written Question
Old Oak Common Station: Construction
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, what steps his Department plans to take to help ensure stakeholders in (a) Wales and (b) the South West receive communications on the potential impact of Old Oak Common station construction work on (i) rail journey times and (ii) service disruption.

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

Similar to last year, public communications regarding the works are due to ramp up ahead of this year’s Christmas engineering works, in line with usual passenger communications timing. Network Rail is leading the development of a passenger communications strategy working closely with train operators and other industry partners, including Transport for London (TfL). My Department is working with Network Rail, HS2 Ltd, TfL and the train operating companies to minimise the impacts of disruption. The most extensive possessions will be in 2026 and 2028 and stakeholders and the public will be informed well in advance.


Written Question
High Speed 2 Line: Old Oak Common Station
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, what steps his Department is taking to minimise disruption to South West rail passengers in the context of the construction of the new High Speed 2 station at Old Oak Common.

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

The Department is working with Network Rail, HS2 Ltd, Transport for London and train operating companies to minimise disruption to South West rail passengers. Diversions of services to other London terminals, such as Euston, is under active consideration. This could provide Great Western Railway passengers access to a central London terminal with numerous onward travel connections. Passengers could alternatively use Ealing Broadway station, as they did successfully during the December 2023 engineering works.


Written Question
Roads: Lincolnshire
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much reallocated HS2 funding has been given to Lincolnshire County Council for road resurfacing.

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

Lincolnshire County Council will receive a minimum additional overall uplift of £287.7 million between 2023-24 and 2033-34 as a result of reallocating HS2 funding. £4.9 million of this has already been paid out in the current financial year with a further £4.9 million to follow in 2024/25, and Lincolnshire is receiving around 30% more capital funding for highway maintenance in the current financial year than it did in the previous financial year.

Funding allocations beyond 2024/25 are a matter for the next Spending Review.


Written Question
Old Oak Common Station: Construction
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 he has made an assessment of the potential impact of construction work being undertaken at Old Oak Common station on (a) local rail disruption and (b) businesses that support tourism in the South West.

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

The Department is working with Network Rail, HS2 Ltd, Transport for London (TfL) and train operators to minimise disruption.


Written Question
Roads: Safety
Friday 22nd March 2024

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

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that programmes for improving safety on the strategic road network receive adequate funding.

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

The Government is investing £24 billion on the Strategic Road Network during the second Road Investment Strategy (RIS2 - 2020-2025) to fund the operation, maintenance, renewal and enhancement of the network. Safety is a key consideration National Highways takes into account across all its activity and much of this investment aims to improve safety across the network for all road users. A specific Safety and Congestion Fund, worth £140m in RIS2, is in place as part of National Highways’ Designated Funds programme and aims to deliver over 150 safety improvements on specific high-risk roads, accident-cluster locations and potential suicide-cluster areas, to help reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on the Strategic Road Network.

The Department for Transport and the Office of Rail and Road, in its capacity of Highways Monitor, hold National Highways to account for delivery against its performance indicators and work collectively to ensure appropriate action plans are in place to maximise safety on the network.


Written Question
Roads: Safety
Friday 22nd March 2024

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

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to help improve safety on the strategic road network.

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

The Government is investing £24 billion on the Strategic Road Network during the second Road Investment Strategy (RIS2 - 2020-2025) to fund the operation, maintenance, renewal and enhancement of the network. Safety is a key consideration National Highways takes into account across all its activity and much of this investment aims to improve safety across the network for all road users. A specific Safety and Congestion Fund, worth £140m in RIS2, is in place as part of National Highways’ Designated Funds programme and aims to deliver over 150 safety improvements on specific high-risk roads, accident-cluster locations and potential suicide-cluster areas, to help reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on the Strategic Road Network.

The Department for Transport and the Office of Rail and Road, in its capacity of Highways Monitor, hold National Highways to account for delivery against its performance indicators and work collectively to ensure appropriate action plans are in place to maximise safety on the network.


Written Question
Cars: Insurance
Friday 22nd March 2024

Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Batley and Spen)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will hold discussions with car insurance providers on the cost of insurance for young drivers.

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

Department for Transport officials regularly liaise with representatives of the motor insurance industry on a variety of issues such as the cost of insurance. However, it is the responsibility of individual motor insurers to set premiums and the terms and conditions of their policies, and the Government does not intervene or seek to control the market.

The Government is determined that insurers should treat customers fairly and firms are required to do so under the Financial Conduct Authority rules.

There is evidence to suggest that younger drivers and those with less experience carry a higher risk.  Some insurers have introduced the use of telematics or in-car black boxes to allow better risk-based pricing of insurance, especially for new drivers.  It means insurers now have a real time data feed, which allows them to see an individual’s driving behaviour; this had not been possible in the past. This can help reduce insurance premiums if drivers show good driving behaviour with a black box installed in their cars.


Written Question
Cars: Crime Prevention
Friday 22nd March 2024

Asked by: Charles Walker (Conservative - Broxbourne)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will hold discussions with insurers on encouraging car owners to fit car security systems to (a) deter theft and (b) reduce their insurance premiums.

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

New cars and light commercial vehicles require systems to prevent unauthorised use, immobilisers and a vehicle alarm system to enable them to be registered.

Department for Transport officials regularly liaise with representatives of the motor insurance industry on a variety of issues such as the cost of insurance. However individual insurers are responsible for setting the terms and conditions of the policies that they offer. The Government does not intervene or seek to control the market.


Written Question
Avanti West Coast: Catering
Friday 22nd 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 adequacy of the on-board catering capacity of the Class 390 Pendolino trains operated by Avanti West Coast following the refurbishment of that train fleet.

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

The on-board catering capacity on the refurbished Class 390 Pendolino fleet is a matter for the operator. However, officials regularly hold Avanti West Coast (AWC) to account on the on-board customer experience they provide to passengers including catering services.