Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the class 142s and class 144s being reintroduced on the Southport-Manchester/Alderley Edge routes will release human waste and effluent on the tracks.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Class 142/144s are currently only intended for use as a contingency measure to add capacity for distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
There is no expectation that any of the Class 142 or Class 144 units will be fitted with controlled-emission toilets due to their impending replacement.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many trains and what proportion of operators continue to release human waste and effluent on tracks in England and Wales.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The following franchised train operators have varying quantities of trains that are not fitted with controlled emission toilets (CET): Chiltern, CrossCountry, EMR, GWR, Greater Anglia, Northern, WMT and Transport for Wales. Other operators, such as charter and heritage, for which the Department is not responsible for also operate trains that are not fitted with CET equipment.
Out of a national fleet of over 14,000 carriages there are approximately 350 that still discharge waste to the track and all of these will be refurbished or replaced.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the estimated annual volume is of human waste and effluent released on rail tracks in England and Wales.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Department has not made an estimate of how much human waste and effluent is released on to the tracks.
As the number of trains that are not fitted with controlled-emission toilets are replaced by new or refurbished rolling stock, there will be a corresponding and significant reduction of waste released.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timeline is for ending the practice of dumping human waste and effluent on tracks, by (a) route and (b) franchise.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The timeline for ending the practice of toilets discharging to the tracks will be driven by the introduction of new rolling stock and the major refurbishment of existing rolling stock.
By the end of this year it is estimated that a small number of vehicles will still discharge to the track.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on extending the NHS and Social Care Coronavirus Life Assurance Scheme 2020 to the families of transport workers who die from covid-19.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced on 27th April a scheme where families of eligible NHS and care workers, who die from coronavirus in the course of their frontline work, will receive a £60,000 payment. The government will continue to review the support provided to key workers on the front-line.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will extend the compensation scheme for families of NHS and care workers who die of covid-19 to transport workers in recognition of the vital services that they are providing during the outbreak of that disease.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced on 27th April a scheme where families of eligible NHS and care workers, who die from coronavirus in the course of their frontline work, will receive a £60,000 payment. The Government will continue to review the support provided to key workers on the front-line.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that all frontline railway workers are equipped with adequate personal protective equipment.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Railway workers play a vital part in ensuring passengers and goods continue to move across the country, and we have been clear their safety remains a priority. Employers are protecting staff in line with government advice, and are taking all necessary steps to make their workplaces COVID-secure – for example, by reconfiguring the workplace to enable social distancing, providing hand sanitiser and hand washing facilities, and continuing their enhanced cleaning regimes. Employers have carried out necessary risk assessments and are providing PPE in accordance with these assessments.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason the requirement for Eurostar passengers entering the UK to wear face masks does not apply to passengers on other railway services operating in the UK during the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Eurostar runs international services to several destinations in Europe, including Brussels and Paris and, as such, must comply with the requirements of the countries it operates in. In line with guidelines announced by the French and Belgian governments, Eurostar has amended its Conditions of Carriage to require all passengers to bring and wear a face covering for all Eurostar services across its full route to provide clarity for its passengers.
However, the Government has also been clear that it is advising passengers in England, where they can, to wear a face covering if they need to use public transport.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
What recent steps the Government has taken to help prevent key workers who (a) work on and (b) use the rail network contracting covid-19.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Drivers and other public transport staff have been working hard to ensure that all those on the frontline can get to work. New safer transport guidance was published on 12 May, and we are working closely with transport operators across the sector on its implementation.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what (a) discussions and (b) correspondence his Department has had with Greater Anglia in relation to its commitment to provide four 90-minute services per day between Norwich and London during calendar year 2018.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
The Greater Anglia Franchise Agreement sets out the obligation to deliver the improved journey time between Norwich and London Liverpool Street from May 2019. Greater Anglia continues to develop the May 2019 timetable and as part of the improvements for passengers secured through this franchise Greater Anglia is delivering a whole new fleet of trains that are on track to enter passenger service in 2019.