Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the projected passenger number were in the business case for each (a) new station and (b) reopened rail line in the last 10 years; and what the actual passenger numbers were in each case 12 months after they opened.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Benefit Cost Ratios (BCRs) within the economic case are only one element of decision-making on schemes and should be considered alongside the other cases in the five case business model used in Government (strategic, economic, financial, commercial and management cases). Therefore we do not routinely make BCRs available.
Details of Rail infrastructure and assets lists new stations opened in the financial year can be found here https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/infrastructure-and-emissions/rail-infrastructure-and-assets/ Not all of these were promoted by the Department.
Estimates of station usage contains annual estimates of the number of entries/exits and interchanges at each station in Great Britain https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/usage/estimates-of-station-usage
In practice it can take a number of years for long term demand patterns to emerge for new stations. The Department (and bodies who promote their own schemes) have a long standing and established appraisal framework to help scheme promoters forecast passenger demand of new stations and lines. We are continuing to monitor our framework and use evaluation to understand the impacts of schemes.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the actual benefit-cost ratio for each (a) new station built and (b) reopened line in each of the last 10 years.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Benefit Cost Ratios (BCRs) within the economic case are only one element of decision-making on schemes and should be considered alongside the other cases in the five case business model used in Government (strategic, economic, financial, commercial and management cases). Therefore we do not routinely make BCRs available.
Details of Rail infrastructure and assets lists new stations opened in the financial year can be found here https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/infrastructure-and-emissions/rail-infrastructure-and-assets/ Not all of these were promoted by the Department.
Estimates of station usage contains annual estimates of the number of entries/exits and interchanges at each station in Great Britain https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/usage/estimates-of-station-usage
In practice it can take a number of years for long term demand patterns to emerge for new stations. The Department (and bodies who promote their own schemes) have a long standing and established appraisal framework to help scheme promoters forecast passenger demand of new stations and lines. We are continuing to monitor our framework and use evaluation to understand the impacts of schemes.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the benefit-cost ratios were for each (a) new station built and (b) reopened line in each of the last 10 years.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Benefit Cost Ratios (BCRs) within the economic case are only one element of decision-making on schemes and should be considered alongside the other cases in the five case business model used in Government (strategic, economic, financial, commercial and management cases). Therefore we do not routinely make BCRs available.
Details of Rail infrastructure and assets lists new stations opened in the financial year can be found here https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/infrastructure-and-emissions/rail-infrastructure-and-assets/ Not all of these were promoted by the Department.
Estimates of station usage contains annual estimates of the number of entries/exits and interchanges at each station in Great Britain https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/usage/estimates-of-station-usage
In practice it can take a number of years for long term demand patterns to emerge for new stations. The Department (and bodies who promote their own schemes) have a long standing and established appraisal framework to help scheme promoters forecast passenger demand of new stations and lines. We are continuing to monitor our framework and use evaluation to understand the impacts of schemes.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to improve the application process for student visas.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
During 2023, straightforward applications were delivered within published Service Standards.
My department introduced technology for a fully digital application process for EEA customers, and customers of any nationality applying in the UK using a UK residence permit.
We are continually making improvements to processes, working closely with the education sector to support students to apply early with the correct documentation.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with (a) Google and (b) other online providers of travel information on ensuring that information can be accessed on journeys that can be made involving demand responsive bus travel.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Bus Open Data Service (BODS) ensures national bus timetables, fares, and live bus locations are provided from one open-source platform. Relevant legislation requires that this data be published by operators to improve services and passenger experiences through the availability of real-time journey planning information from online providers such as Google.
The Department encourages the development of third-party applications and services that utilise the published data. Developers can create mobile apps, websites and tools that utilise bus data to offer passengers real-time information, route planning and more. This supports local passenger journeys by providing passengers with the tools and information needed to plan trips effectively, reducing information gaps and enhancing passenger satisfaction.
The Department has amended the BODS data standards profile to accommodate demand responsive bus travel. We are also currently working with bus operators, their agents and technology providers to support product development and data submission, through webinars and other forms of engagement.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to page 4 of the Sixth Special Report of the Transport Committee of Session 2022-23 on Implementation of the National Bus Strategy: Government response to the Committee’s Fourth Report, published on 6 June 2023, when he plans to publish guidance on social and economically necessary bus services.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We plan to publish new guidance on socially and economically necessary services (SENS) in this Parliament.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department's response to the Transport Select Committee's report entitled Implementation of the National Bus Strategy, HC 1431, published 22 June 2023, what his Department's timescales are for the publication of new guidance on socially and economically necessary bus services.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We plan to publish new guidance on socially and economically necessary services (SENS) in this Parliament.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to provide additional funding to music hubs for the increased employer contributions to the teachers’ pension scheme.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
Music Hubs have a vital role in ensuring pupils across the country can access high quality music education. I value the many achievements that the existing Music Hub network has made since 2012. As part of the Music Hubs Investment Programme, including the re-competition of Music Hub Lead Organisations which is currently taking place, Arts Council England informed potential bidders on 15 June 2023 that the Department is providing a core revenue grant totalling around £76 million from September 2024 for academic year 2024/25, alongside a new capital grant totalling £25 million. There are no plans to change the revenue grant to reflect teacher pension scheme costs, and any subsequent changes to the grant from 2025/26 onwards is subject to the next spending review.
The grant funding has consistently provided, on average, around 40% of a hubs total income and music hubs have been using this to leverage other income streams over the lifespan of the programme, this will also be the case for the new programme from September 2024. As set out in the investment programme, organisations applying to become lead organisations will need to evidence how at least 50% of a hub’s total income should come from sources other than the revenue grant provided by the Department by the end of the current funding period.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of utilising UK Emissions Trading Scheme revenues from aviation to fund UK-based sustainable aviation fuel production.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Widespread hypothecation of tax revenues can undermine the government’s ability to flexibly manage the public finances.
Receipts from the ETS are used to fund the Net Zero transition, and public services more broadly, across the UK.
The UK’s SAF programme is one of the most comprehensive in the world. We are stimulating demand through our ambitious SAF mandate and are continuing to invest in domestic production to boost domestic supply and help to overcome the investment barrier of proving the technology at commercial scale.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an estimate of the potential impact of (a) people leaving work and (b) sick days taken due to osteoporotic fractures on tax revenues.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The government does not have estimates for the impact on tax revenues of osteoporotic fractures. However, the government recognises the importance of boosting people’s health for their own benefit, as well as for the wider labour market and the Exchequer.
At the Spring Budget, the Chancellor announced a range of measures to support improved population health outcomes and increase the employment rate and hours worked among those with a health condition or disability. For musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions in particular, this included scaling up MSK hubs in the community and ensuring digital resources such as apps for management of mental health and MSK conditions are readily available.