Asked by: Baroness Pinnock (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether Platform4 is required to consider the need for future railway expansion on existing railway land before allocating land for commercial or housing development.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Network Rail are required to consider the need for future railway expansion on existing railway land before allocating land for commercial or housing development, under condition 17 of their network license (LC17). LC17 is an industry process, and most railway partners have the opportunity to respond to any current, future and integrated transport proposals.
Establishing Platform4 has not changed this process. Platform4 will continue to work with Network Rail on the LC17 process as part of their support to the development for major stations and regional schemes.
Asked by: Baroness Pinnock (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adherence of local authorities to the requirement of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 that profits from off-street car parking may not be transferred to their general fund.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Financial provisions relating to the income and expenditure of local authorities in connection with parking are stipulated in the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. Subsection 4 of section 55 specifies the purposes for the application of any surplus income from parking. This includes making good any deficit charged to the general fund in the preceding four financial years.
In line with the Local Authority Transparency Code, local authorities should each year publish their costs and profits relating to their parking management, allowing the public to hold councils to account. Parking is the responsibility of local authorities, and it is for them to determine what is best for their own area.
Off-street parking and all matters relating to it are the responsibility of the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Asked by: Baroness Pinnock (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the transport infrastructure plan known as Network North includes the intent to electrify the whole of the Trans-Pennine line (1) from Liverpool to Hull, (2) and from Liverpool to Newcastle.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
Yes, this is the case.
Asked by: Baroness Pinnock (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Arriva concerning restoring bus services run by Arriva in parts of West Yorkshire where bus drivers have been on strike.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, everywhere has access to great bus services and regularly engages with bus operators on a variety of issues.
Where there are disputes between a private entity and its employees relating to employees’ terms and conditions, it is the responsibility of the company concerned to resolve these issues and make conditions for their employees sufficiently appealing.