Asked by: Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether overhead lighting on the M4 motorway will be replaced following the M4's conversion to a smart motorway between junctions 3 and 8/9; and whether that lighting will be extended to junction 12.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
Highways England is currently assessing the need for lighting on the M4 J3 to J12 smart motorway scheme against current standards. Where lighting is required it will be retained and junctions will remain lit. If any lighting is proposed to be removed from the scheme, Highways England will need to consult with affected local authorities as part of the process of discharging requirements set in the planning approval (Development Consent Order).
Asked by: Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what parts of the UK's railways, including tracks and trains, they own.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The national rail infrastructure is held and managed by Network Rail, a Non-Departmental Public Body reporting to the Department for Transport. A number of privately owned lines and sidings are connected to the national rail network. Almost all rolling stock in operation on the national rail network is privately owned. The franchised passenger train operating companies are contracted out by the Department for Transport or devolved administrations. The Intercity East Coast franchise is currently operated by a publicly owned operating company, LNER Ltd, pending the letting of a new franchise. All these train services operate on the national rail network alongside privately owned freight and passenger train operating companies.
The High Speed 1 infrastructure between London St Pancras and the UK Channel Tunnel portal is owned by the Department for Transport and let as a thirty year concession. Some UK cities own and operate their own rail networks, notably London, Newcastle and Glasgow.
Asked by: Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the total new investment in UK railways since privatisation by (1) Network Rail and its predecessor, and (2) train operating companies.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
There are no figures available covering the entire period since privatisation.
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has published statistics on private-sector investment in rail in Great Britain since 2006-07. Private investment is at record levels, totalling £8.3bn over this period, with £6.7bn in the last decade.
The figures can be found online at the link below:
http://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/displayreport/report/html/a1bcb53b-9914-4d7d-9d57-0187cd27e59b
These figures cover all private investment, not just that made by train operating companies. However, the largest category of investment is in rolling stock, which train operators fund though lease payments.
Network Rail has received a government grant since 2001-02 to support its investment in the rail network. The annual amounts are published by the ORR (within the ‘Direct Rail Support’ column of this table) at the link below:
https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/displayreport/report/html/a830de20-83bf-408d-9c22-7f3ec23999f9
Asked by: Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will encourage urban stage carriage operators to re-introduce trolleybuses as part of their plans to meet their vehicle emission reduction targets.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
£220 million is available through the Clean Air Fund for local authorities with a nitrogen dioxide (NO2) exceedance to help them fund measures to reduce harmful emissions, including measures to reduce emissions from vehicles. The re-introduction of trolleybuses is a matter for local authorities and operators to decide, should local authorities see them as a suitable measure to reduce vehicle emissions.
Asked by: Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Transport for London about when the closure of sections of Chelsea Embankment to traffic is likely to end.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
Transport in London is devolved to the Mayor of London and delivered by Transport for London (TfL). The Government has regular discussions with TfL on a range of issues, however, road closures and traffic management on TfL roads is a matter for TfL.
Asked by: Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to introduce legislation providing for an automatic driving ban on drivers using a mobile phone whilst in charge of a moving vehicle.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We are bringing forward legislation that doubles the fixed penalty notice for using a handheld mobile phone whilst driving from 3 to 6 penalty points and from a £100 to £200 fine. Drivers within 2 years of gaining their full driving licence who collect 6 penalty points automatically have it revoked under the New Drivers Act. This means that they will have to reapply for a provisional licence, plus resit and pass both the theory and practical driving tests to regain their full driving licence. The Government currently otherwise has no plans to introduce legislation for an automatic ban on drivers for the offence of using a mobile phone whilst driving.
Asked by: Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure the safety of users of the M4 motorway following the removal of the hard shoulders, and what arrangements will be made for the emergency services to have urgent and easy access to the motorway in the event of accidents and other incidents.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The M4 Junctions 3 to 12 smart motorway scheme incorporates the following features to ensure safety is maintained:
This allows Highways England to create an emergency lane or lanes on any lane on the motorway, with signs and signals to provide access for the emergency services or traffic officers.
Asked by: Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the widening of the M4 motorway between junctions 3 and 12 will commence, when it is likely to be completed, and what measures they will put in place to avoid delays to traffic during the construction period.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Highways England’s latest Delivery Plan states that the start of works for the M4 Junction 3-12 scheme is the fourth quarter of 2016/2017 and it will open to traffic in 2021/22.
Measures to avoid delays to traffic during the construction period include:
Asked by: Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the accident rate on the M4 motorway between junctions 10 and 12 is equivalent to the average rate for all motorways; and how many accidents in the last year on that part of the motorway involved heavy lorries.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The accident rate for 2012-2014 on the M4 between junctions 10 and 12 is below the average rate for all motorways. There were 7 personal injury accidents in 2014 involving heavy lorries on this section of the motorway.
This is based on the latest validated accident data Highways England holds for the Road Network for 2014, with the 2015 data due to be released in October 2016.
Asked by: Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to contest the European Commission’s decision to open an infringement case against the UK over time-based road charges for heavy goods vehicles.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Commission has requested information prior to reaching a considered view about the UK’s HGV Levy and its compatibility with EU Directives. The Government considers that the levy is justified and consistent with the free movement of goods, and will respond to the Commission in due course.