Asked by: Graham Stringer (Labour - Blackley and Broughton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to place in the Library the study commissioned by HS2 on a like-for-like comparison on the surface station and the underground station for HS2 at Manchester Piccadilly.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Manchester Piccadilly High Speed Station – Design of an Alternative Underground Station was placed in the Libraries of both Houses on 27 June. The report is also publicly available on the HS2 Ltd website.
Asked by: Graham Stringer (Labour - Blackley and Broughton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the capacity of English sea ports to facilitate international trade after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Chris Grayling
The UK ports sector is in an excellent position to facilitate growth in trade, both from the EU and from other countries, after we leave the EU. Several ports have invested strongly in capacity, to handle the largest container ships in global fleets and to adapt to changing patterns of energy generation. We will also see new investment proceeding at other ports such as at Dover Western Docks.
Asked by: Graham Stringer (Labour - Blackley and Broughton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the cost of upgrading to a smart motorway the M56 adjacent to junctions six and seven; and what assessment he has made of the effect of upgrading that stretch of motorway on (a) safety and (b) journey times.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The latest estimate for the cost of the M56 junction 6-8 smart motorway scheme is between £62m - £120m.
The economic assessment for this scheme indicates that it will lead to an overall reduction in collisions and casualties on the network over the 60 year appraisal period. Traffic modelling indicates that the scheme will divert vehicles from the surrounding road network, releasing the pressure on that network. This will improve journey time reliability and contribute to a reduction in the number of people killed and seriously injured (KSIs) on the road network as a whole.
This scheme is also expected to deliver journey time savings in both directions.
Asked by: Graham Stringer (Labour - Blackley and Broughton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he will publish the guidance and regulations relating to the franchise for the Bus Services Act 2017.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Department’s aim is to have the relevant regulations and guidance in place later this year.
Asked by: Graham Stringer (Labour - Blackley and Broughton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress his Department has made on its rail electrification programme
Answered by Claire Perry
The first ever electric trains are now running between Liverpool and Manchester, and Liverpool and Wigan, and the Farnworth tunnel is now open, further proof of this Government’s commitment to electrification – part of the biggest rail investment since Victorian times.
In addition, the honourable gentleman’s constituents are already benefitting from electric trains running from Manchester Victoria, on the edge of his constituency, running into Liverpool. Network Rail’s £44m restoration of Manchester Victoria has completely transformed this station into a modern and exciting gateway to the city – part of more than £1 billion of investment in the north of England.
Asked by: Graham Stringer (Labour - Blackley and Broughton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to issue guidance on the implementation of the EU Cross Border Enforcement Directive.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The UK is required to transpose the EU Directive 2015/413 on the Cross Border Exchange of Information on Road Safety Related Traffic Offences by 6 May 2017. Work is currently underway to implement the relevant legal changes by this date. Explanatory notes will accompany the secondary legislation implementing the data sharing requirements and these will be made public when the legislation is tabled.
Asked by: Graham Stringer (Labour - Blackley and Broughton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what date he plans to implement the EU Cross Border Enforcement Directive.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The UK is required to transpose the EU Directive 2015/413 on the Cross Border Exchange of Information on Road Safety Related Traffic Offences by 6 May 2017. Work is currently underway to implement the relevant legal changes by this date. Explanatory notes will accompany the secondary legislation implementing the data sharing requirements and these will be made public when the legislation is tabled.
Asked by: Graham Stringer (Labour - Blackley and Broughton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of public sector investment in transport infrastructure needed for each of the three options being considered by the Davies Commission on runway capacity in the South East.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
To ensure our long term connectivity needs can be met, this Government established the independent Airports Commission to identify and recommend to Government options for maintaining this country’s status as an international hub for aviation.
In its consultation the Airports Commission is seeking views on its initial assessment of, among other things, the level of public sector investment in transport infrastructure associated with the shortlisted options.
The Airports Commission’s consultation can be found at:
www.gov.uk/government/consultations/increasing-the-uks-long-term-aviation-capacity
The Airports Commission will report to government in the summer of 2015.
It will be for the Government of the day to consider any future requirement for public sector investment.
Asked by: Graham Stringer (Labour - Blackley and Broughton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it a condition of the Bus Service Operators Grant incentive for real time information equipment that the performance data generated should be made available to the traffic commissioners.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
In July 2013, we announced a package of reforms to the Bus Service Operator Grant (BSOG) system following consultation. At this time, we announced that the BSOG incentives would be maintained until 2014 when we would review the remaining parts of the bus subsidy system. As part of this commitment, we are now undertaking work to consider reforms to the incentive grants and will consider the conditions related to these.
Asked by: Graham Stringer (Labour - Blackley and Broughton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many local transport authorities achieve the bus punctuality targets set by the Senior Traffic Commissioners.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
Local transport authorities are not set bus punctuality targets by the Senior Traffic Commissioner. The Traffic Commissioners' “Practice Direction: Standards for Local Bus Services” outlines the standards which bus operators are expected to adhere to. The Traffic Commissioners, as statutory regulators of the bus industry, have the powers to take action against operators who fail to operate according to the registered details.