Lord Shutt of Greetland

The process to determine the level of UK Government financial support to St Helena for 2017/18 has followed standard DFID procedures. It began during November 2016 when the St Helena Government (SHG) provided budget forecasts and DFID officials visited the island for intense discussions of the budget proposals. Elected Members took an active role throughout these discussions.

A revised budget from SHG in January provided more detailed and prioritised spending projections. Following internal quality assurance Ministers approved the level of DFID’s contribution to the budget on 30 March 2017. This approval was relayed to SHG Officials on 31 March.

Throughout the process DFID officials were in regular contact with their SHG counterparts. Financial Aid makes an important contribution to the long term growth and development of St Helena.

The UK Government has a duty to ensure value for taxpayers’ money as it meets its international commitments.

The process to determine the level of UK Government financial support to St Helena for 2017/18 has followed standard DFID procedures. It began during November 2016 when the St Helena Government (SHG) provided budget forecasts and DFID officials visited the island for intense discussions of the budget proposals. Elected Members took an active role throughout these discussions.

A revised budget from SHG in January provided more detailed and prioritised spending projections. Following internal quality assurance Ministers approved the level of DFID’s contribution to the budget on 30 March 2017. This approval was relayed to SHG Officials on 31 March.

Throughout the process DFID officials were in regular contact with their SHG counterparts. Financial Aid makes an important contribution to the long term growth and development of St Helena.

The UK Government has a duty to ensure value for taxpayers’ money as it meets its international commitments.

The process to determine the level of UK Government financial support to St Helena for 2017/18 has followed standard DFID procedures. It began during November 2016 when the St Helena Government (SHG) provided budget forecasts and DFID officials visited the island for intense discussions of the budget proposals. Elected Members took an active role throughout these discussions.

A revised budget from SHG in January provided more detailed and prioritised spending projections. Following internal quality assurance Ministers approved the level of DFID’s contribution to the budget on 30 March 2017. This approval was relayed to SHG Officials on 31 March.

Throughout the process DFID officials were in regular contact with their SHG counterparts. Financial Aid makes an important contribution to the long term growth and development of St Helena.

The UK Government has a duty to ensure value for taxpayers’ money as it meets its international commitments.

The process to determine the level of UK Government financial support to St Helena for 2017/18 has followed standard DFID procedures. It began during November 2016 when the St Helena Government (SHG) provided budget forecasts and DFID officials visited the island for intense discussions of the budget proposals. Elected Members took an active role throughout these discussions.

A revised budget from SHG in January provided more detailed and prioritised spending projections. Following internal quality assurance Ministers approved the level of DFID’s contribution to the budget on 30 March 2017. This approval was relayed to SHG Officials on 31 March.

Throughout the process DFID officials were in regular contact with their SHG counterparts. Financial Aid makes an important contribution to the long term growth and development of St Helena.

The UK Government has a duty to ensure value for taxpayers’ money as it meets its international commitments.

The operational limitations set out in paragraphs 7.57 to 7.67 of the Atkins’ Feasibility Study refer to work undertaken to assess the feasibility of a 1,400 m landing runway. This option was not adopted and the St Helena Airport has landing runways of 1,550 m from the north, and 1,535 m from the south. This addresses the limitation referred to. With regard to cargo provision, the proposed Comair flights were to have carried a minimum of one tonne of air freight, and the St Helena Government has already entered into a contract for sea freight on a commercial basis.

Paragraphs 7.68 to 7.81 concern the procurement of an air service which was undertaken through competitive tender in 2014 and resulted in the appointment of Comair to provide scheduled services.

Paragraphs 7.82 and 13.113 both refer to the requirement for flight trials to be carried out. Flight trials were undertaken on 2 May 2007 and concluded that turbulence at the North and South ends of the runway was acceptable.

The volume of railway lines and stations that will be re-opened through the £500m investment, being made during this Government and in subsequent years, will depend on the costs and value for money of qualifying schemes. The Secretary of State is inviting MPs to work with local authorities and community groups to come forward with proposals to explore.

We are in discussions with Stagecoach to ensure the needs of passengers and taxpayers will be met in the short term whilst laying the foundations for introduction of the East Coast Partnership from 2020.

We expect to provide additional services between Lincoln, Harrogate, Bradford and London from May 2019. It remains our intention to deliver additional services to Middlesbrough and Huddersfield. Virgin Trains East Coast has contingent rights to run services from London to Middlesbrough from May 2020 and firm rights from May 2021.

Electrification of the NorthTranspennine line east of Stalybridge is paused pending receipt of Sir Peter Hendy's re-planning proposals this autumn. This is a pause, not a stop, to ensure that it happens at the right time to deliver the most benefit. The government’s enhancements programme is ambitious and stretching and it needs to be re-planned to ensure it remains deliverable and affordable. The replan should take into consideration the plans for the Northern Powerhouse / TransNorth to ensure that we are delivering the best solution overall.

The delay to Transpennine electrification was already known, and therefore I didn’t specifically mention the delay in my opening. As it was in the public domain, several Lords referenced the delay in their speeches. I acknowledged the concerns about the delay in my closing speech and have written to the Lords in more detail to address their concerns.

Electrification of the TransPennine line east of Stalybridge is paused pending receipt of Sir Peter Hendy's re-planning proposals this autumn.