Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what Performance Indicator or Indicators he proposes to set for Highways England’s performance as part of its 2nd Roads Investment Strategy to achieve (a) improved provision for, (b) increases in and (c) improved safety of travel by pedestrians, cycle users and equestrians along and across the corridors of the Strategic Road Network corridors.
Answered by George Freeman
The draft Road Investment Strategy 2 (RIS2) published in October 2018 sets out Government’s objectives for the second Road Period from 2020-21 to 2024-25. These build on the progress made in the first Road Investment Strategy (RIS1).
The RIS2 performance specification is expected to be split into six outcome areas. Under each of these outcome areas we will require Highways England to report on a range of performance indicators and activities to support the delivery of each outcome. The outcome areas of most relevance to cyclists will be improving safety for all, and meeting the needs of all road users.
The metrics and associated targets for each outcome area will be confirmed shortly in the final RIS2 document.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of whether Highways England’s provision for cycle travel in the (a) A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon and (b) A428 Caxton Gibbet highway schemes complies with its design standards for cycling infrastructure; and what steps he is taking to ensure that Highways England conforms with its own design standards in all future highway schemes and development proposals affecting the Strategic Road Network throughout England.
Answered by George Freeman
The A14 scheme designers certify that the scheme design complies with the relevant mandatory standards within the Design Manual Roads & Bridges.
Where compliance is not possible, departures from standards are applied for which have to be strongly justified to be acceptable.
Highways England employs an independent project technical assurance team to oversee this process and through spot checks and audits it gives confidence that relevant standards and specifications are being adhered to.
The A428 scheme is at preliminary design stage and Highways England has undertaken a Walking, Cycling Horse-Riding Assessment and Review to identify the most frequently used cycling routes (and walking and horse-riding routes) that may be affected by the scheme to define the provisions for cyclists being proposed.
Highways England is working with local authorities and community groups to understand what is most important to the people that use these routes.
The existing A428 is being retained as a local road which, as a result of the scheme, will have less traffic on it following the opening of the new road, making it a safer and more attractive route for cyclists.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Road Investment Strategy 2015-2021, what progress has been made on delivering sustainable transport outcomes through environmental, social and economic objectives.
Answered by George Freeman
Through the Road Investment Strategy (RIS), Highways England is investing £675 million to improve the environmental, social and economic impacts of the Strategic Road Network, with designated funds across five areas: environmental; cycling, safety and integration; air quality; growth and housing; and innovation.
In April 2017 Highways England published its Sustainable Development and Environment Strategies, setting out its vision for ensuring its work supports society and the wider national interest, as well as both minimising environmental impact, and improving it where possible.
Some examples of activity in 2018-19 include the delivery of 300 noise mitigation measures towards its 5-year target of 1150, 59 more electric vehicle charge points to meet its commitment of 95% coverage by the end of 2019-20, and a contribution to Leeds City Council’s scheme to implement an electric van centre of excellence.
Over the course of the RIS, Highways England is also supporting 28 schemes as part of its Growth and Housing Fund to unlock the development of housing and employment sites across the country. Highways England expect over 45,000 homes and 44,000 jobs to be developed over the lifetime of these developments.
Highways England continues to work closely with the Department for Transport, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Office for Low Emission Vehicles and the Joint Air Quality Unit to support the delivery of the National Air Quality Plan, including work to meet limits on nitrogen dioxide in the shortest timescale possible.
As a statutory planning consultee, Highways England responds to local authority plans and planning applications in a way that seeks to promote sustainable transport outcomes and avoid unnecessary works to the SRN. Highways England’s Planning Guide, published earlier in the RIS, sets out how it does this, alongside its requirement to ensure that any new development can safely be accommodated around its network. Highways England regularly engages with those in the development industry to ensure its responses and approach to planning are in line with its expectations as well as those of its customers, including how it enables development through delivery of sustainable transport outcomes.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much of the £900 million budget allocated to Highways England over the six year spending period 2015 to 2021 to deliver wider environmental, social and economic objectives on the strategic road network as part of the Road Investment Strategy has been (a) spent as of 28 October 2019 and (b) spent in each of the Five Designated Funds.
Answered by George Freeman
Highways England has a £675 million designated fund budget covering the period April 2015 to March 2020. The remaining £225m of the £900m commitment is for 2020/21 and will be superseded by the first year of the second Road Investment Strategy. As of the end of September 2019, half the way through the 2019/20 financial year, Highways England had invested £460.2 million of these funds.
This investment has been delivered across the five designated funds as follows:
Spend (£m) | ||||||
Designated Fund | 15/16 | 16/17 | 17/18 | 18/19 | 19/20 | RP1 |
Air Quality | 0.0 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 6.8 | 3.3 | 12.8 |
Cycling, Safety & Integration | 16.5 | 18.1 | 28.9 | 48.8 | 18.7 | 131.0 |
Environment | 2.6 | 13.7 | 40.9 | 75.4 | 36.6 | 169.2 |
Growth & Housing | 0.1 | 5.2 | 14.5 | 10.4 | 25.6 | 55.8 |
Innovation | 2.7 | 8.8 | 26.8 | 39.6 | 13.5 | 91.4 |
Total | 21.9 | 47.8 | 111.8 | 181.0 | 97.7 | 460.2 |
Spend has increased year on year as Highways England has developed the maturity of the programme through Road Period 1. Highways England is focussed on delivering the remaining £214.8 million spend on interventions that deliver the greatest benefits to our road users and local communities and it has developed an in-year programme capable of delivering the remaining budgets across the Environment, CSI, Innovation and Growth & Housing fund.
Highways England is already starting to see the positive impact of the Designated Funds programme and its spend to date has contributed to the following successes:
Facilitating safe movement for cyclists, walkers and other vulnerable road users through delivering 102 cycling schemes, and supporting construction of 114 new and 220 upgraded crossings.
Completion of over 90 safety schemes to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on the network.
665 Noise Important Areas mitigated to reduce the impact of noise on residents living locally to its roads.
Growth and Housing projects expect to provide up to 45,000 homes and 44,000 jobs.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his 30 September 2019 press release entitled A better deal for bus users, whether the buses for the all-electric bus town will comprise retrofitted vehicles or a new electric fleet.
Answered by George Freeman
On 30 September, the Government announced that up to £50 million of funding would be made available for an all-electric bus town or city. The funding will see an entire place’s bus fleet changed over to new zero emission capable buses. Such a town or city will serve as a model for zero-emission bus travel.
The number of new buses will depend on the detail of the schemes proposed and selected, and further details including eligibility criteria will be published shortly.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his 30 September 2019 press release entitled A better deal for bus users, what estimate he has made of the number of new electric buses in the all-electric bus town which that funding will be able to buy.
Answered by George Freeman
On 30 September, the Government announced that up to £50 million of funding would be made available for an all-electric bus town or city. The funding will see an entire place’s bus fleet changed over to new zero emission capable buses. Such a town or city will serve as a model for zero-emission bus travel.
The number of new buses will depend on the detail of the schemes proposed and selected, and further details including eligibility criteria will be published shortly.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his 30 September 2019 press release entitled A better deal for bus users, what eligibility criteria he plans to put in place for local authorities and bus operators bidding in relation to the proposed all-electric bus town or city.
Answered by George Freeman
On 30 September, the Government announced that up to £50 million of funding would be made available for an all-electric bus town or city. The funding will see an entire place’s bus fleet changed over to new zero emission capable buses. Such a town or city will serve as a model for zero-emission bus travel.
The number of new buses will depend on the detail of the schemes proposed and selected, and further details including eligibility criteria will be published shortly.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that the East West Rail scheme will be environmentally-friendly.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Sustainability and the environment is a core focus for East West Rail and will underpin the planning, design, and delivery phases of the scheme. East West Rail Company and the Department for Transport are working closely with DEFRA and organisations such as Natural England and the Woodland Trust to ensure environmental considerations are woven into decision-making.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the East West Rail scheme will have freight capacity.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Plans for East West Rail have maintained provision for current freight capacity. Provision for any anticipated future growth of the freight network will be made where affordable and operationally feasible.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with Cabinet Colleagues on a potential intersection between East West Rail and High Speed 2; and what plans he has to implement a connection between those lines.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The HS2 and East West Rail lines are planned to intersect in the Calvert area to enable access to the HS2 Maintenance Depot from the East West Rail lines. There is no intention for any integration of passenger or freight services between the two lines.