To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
High Speed 2 Line
Wednesday 20th December 2023

Asked by: Lord Watson of Invergowrie (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what additional resources they will provide to compensate local authorities for their expenditure in preparation for the HS2 rail link.

Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

HS2 Ltd has in place a series of Service Level Agreements with line of route local authorities which provide for those authorities to be reimbursed for the reasonable costs they incur in helping to deliver the new railway. This includes reimbursement for the role local authorities play in the consenting process, and in various other areas.

In the meantime, Network North has enabled the reinvestment of £36 billion in hundreds of transport projects across the country, and we will keep working with local authorities and stakeholders to deliver improvements in local communities.


Written Question
Public Transport: Greater London
Thursday 30th July 2020

Asked by: Lord Watson of Invergowrie (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reimburse local authorities in London for any additional costs incurred as a result of the loss of free public transport for people under the age of 18 living in that city.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The £1.6 billion Extraordinary Funding and Financing Agreement to enable Transport for London (TfL) to continue operating services contained a series of conditions to facilitate safe travel on public transport in London, including the temporary suspension of free travel for under 18s.

The Department is working closely with TfL, the Department for Education and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on how the temporary suspension can be operationalised.


Written Question
Pupils: Walking
Thursday 17th December 2015

Asked by: Lord Watson of Invergowrie (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what funding they plan to make available to promote walking to school initiatives when the Local Sustainable Transport Fund comes to an end in March 2016.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Department for Transport has a statutory obligation to deliver the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS) which is anticipated to include a National Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan. The Department has commenced the early stages of work to develop the first CWIS by summer 2016 following a formal consultation in spring 2016. Detailed content of this Strategy is not yet available, and we are therefore unable to confirm our future plans for promoting walking to school initiatives at this stage.


That said, the Government recently reaffirmed its commitment to cycling and walking by investing over £300m over the life of this Parliament. This includes delivering the Cycle City Ambition programme in full, and funding the Bikeability cycle training programme for school children. It also includes a new ‘Access’ fund for sustainable travel building on the legacy of the Local Sustainable Transport Fund. It is too early to say what the details of this new Access fund will be as discussions are ongoing, but information is expected to be available in the coming weeks.


It is also worth noting that this Government remains committed to the principles of localism; it is therefore the responsibility of local authorities to decide their local priorities in relation to ‘walk to school’ initiatives, and attribute government resources, such as the local transport block, accordingly.