Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to develop a National Airports Strategy; and if so, what is the timetable for its development.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is continuing to develop a strategic framework for the aviation sector, which will focus on key priorities over the next ten years, including ensuring the sector builds back better following the pandemic to deliver a modern, innovative and efficient UK aviation sector for the future.
This framework will explore key issues facing the sector, which will include areas such as recovery, workforce and skills, regional connectivity, local environmental impacts, innovation and regulation, and consumer issues. We will also consider climate change and decarbonisation, as well as the critical role that aviation plays in maintaining the UK’s global impact.
This will be published in due course.
Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to consider the (1) sustainability, (2) surface access, and (3) noise levels, of airports in England.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
In July 2021, we published the Jet Zero Consultation which outlines our vision for the aviation sector to reach net zero by 2050. We continue to consider consultation responses in the development of the final Jet Zero Strategy, which we aim to publish later this year.
Airports are expected to set targets for sustainable passenger and staff travel to the airport which meet the UK’s climate change goals and for these to be monitored by their respective Airport Transport Forums.
The Government requires all major airports to produce strategic noise maps and develop a noise action plan to manage noise issues and effects. Government has also asked the Civil Aviation Authority to take on new noise functions from April 2022, including a new annual report on aviation noise in the UK.
Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to publish the results of the Roads Policing Review: Call for Evidence, which closed on 5 October 2020.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The call for evidence saw 149 responses submitted, many of which were incredibly detailed. We will publish once we have given the responses our full consideration.
Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the bus industry following the end of emergency funding measures.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Following negotiations, over £150m is to be made available to local transport providers to continue supporting the sector as we build back better following the Covid-19 pandemic. The funding will support bus operators and local authorities responsible for bus and light rail services from April until October. This is alongside the £29m uplift to the Bus Recovery Grant announced earlier this year.
Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many single track kilometres of main line railway have been approved for completion in 2023 and beyond; and where are these railways located.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is continuing to invest at record levels in rail enhancements across England and Wales with increased budgets from 2022-23 to 2024-25, and a renewed focus on the Midlands and the North, to grow and level up the economy and provide equality of opportunity as we build back better.
22.5km of railway were re-opened to traffic in 2021 under the Dartmoor Line scheme, the first reopening under the Restoring Your Railway manifesto commitment.
46.5km of railway are planned to be opened in 2022; including 42km in tunnel under the Crossrail / Elizabeth Line scheme, and 4.5km under the Extension of the Gospel Oak to Barking Line to Barking Riverside scheme.
347km of railway have been approved for completion in 2023 and beyond. This includes 225km for Phase One (London to Birmingham) and 60km for Phase 2a (Birmingham to Crewe) under the HS2 scheme; and 62km for Stage One of the East West Rail Connection, to extend the existing Oxford to Bicester line to Bletchley. We will also reinstate many more kilometres of track in future through the Restoring Your Railway Fund.
Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many single track kilometres of main line railway are planned to be open in 2022.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is continuing to invest at record levels in rail enhancements across England and Wales with increased budgets from 2022-23 to 2024-25, and a renewed focus on the Midlands and the North, to grow and level up the economy and provide equality of opportunity as we build back better.
22.5km of railway were re-opened to traffic in 2021 under the Dartmoor Line scheme, the first reopening under the Restoring Your Railway manifesto commitment.
46.5km of railway are planned to be opened in 2022; including 42km in tunnel under the Crossrail / Elizabeth Line scheme, and 4.5km under the Extension of the Gospel Oak to Barking Line to Barking Riverside scheme.
347km of railway have been approved for completion in 2023 and beyond. This includes 225km for Phase One (London to Birmingham) and 60km for Phase 2a (Birmingham to Crewe) under the HS2 scheme; and 62km for Stage One of the East West Rail Connection, to extend the existing Oxford to Bicester line to Bletchley. We will also reinstate many more kilometres of track in future through the Restoring Your Railway Fund.
Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many single track kilometres of main line railway were opened to traffic in 2021.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is continuing to invest at record levels in rail enhancements across England and Wales with increased budgets from 2022-23 to 2024-25, and a renewed focus on the Midlands and the North, to grow and level up the economy and provide equality of opportunity as we build back better.
22.5km of railway were re-opened to traffic in 2021 under the Dartmoor Line scheme, the first reopening under the Restoring Your Railway manifesto commitment.
46.5km of railway are planned to be opened in 2022; including 42km in tunnel under the Crossrail / Elizabeth Line scheme, and 4.5km under the Extension of the Gospel Oak to Barking Line to Barking Riverside scheme.
347km of railway have been approved for completion in 2023 and beyond. This includes 225km for Phase One (London to Birmingham) and 60km for Phase 2a (Birmingham to Crewe) under the HS2 scheme; and 62km for Stage One of the East West Rail Connection, to extend the existing Oxford to Bicester line to Bletchley. We will also reinstate many more kilometres of track in future through the Restoring Your Railway Fund.
Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the budgets allocated for (1) building new roads, and (2) improving existing highways, have been underspent in the current financial year; and if so, to what amounts.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The final spend for 2021-22 on the strategic road network will be confirmed in National Highways’ Annual Report and Accounts later this year.
There is no projected underspend in DfT’s 2021-22 budgets for Local Authority road enhancement schemes.
Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what criteria they will adopt to allocate the funds available for the Bus Service Improvement Plans, as outlined in the report by the National Bus Strategy for England Bus Back Better, published on 15 March 2021; and whether further funds will be allocated as a result of adjustments to the Department for Transport's budget.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
We have received Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIPs) from all English Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) outside London. Those plans will be assessed against criteria including bus priority measures and targeted fares reductions, as set out in the National Bus Strategy and in supplementary guidance to local authorities and bus operators published in May 2021.
At the Budget we announced £1.2 billion of new dedicated funding for bus transformation deals, part of over £3 billion of new spend on buses over this Parliament. We will announce further details on BSIP funding allocations in due course.
Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to cut one in four trains from service; and whether a new timetable is being prepared to scale back rail services in response to a rise in COVID-19 cases.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Government has no plans to remove one in four trains from service. Rail operators are responsible for mitigating the effects of the pandemic on their business, and for ensuring they are able to provide services within existing operational constraints. In response to significant resourcing challenges caused by the current surge in COVID-19 cases, many operators have implemented temporary revised train timetables, which provide passengers with certainty and reliability.