Asked by: Abena Oppong-Asare (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with (a) Network Rail and (b) train operating companies on resolving potential further rail strikes.
Answered by Wendy Morton - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Secretary of State is in close contact with the industry on the negotiations and engages with them almost daily.
Asked by: Abena Oppong-Asare (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department spent on producing the video announcing the removal of unnecessary train announcements.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The promotional film was produced in-house.
Asked by: Abena Oppong-Asare (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the future transport capacity required in Thamesmead in order to support planned housing developments.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Government is committed to supporting the delivery of housing across the country, including in London, ensuring developments are supported by appropriate transport infrastructure as we build back better from this pandemic.
The Government and Homes England are working together with the Greater London Authority and Transport for London to explore the scale of the opportunity, and potential options, at Thamesmead & Beckton Riverside.
Asked by: Abena Oppong-Asare (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with Transport for London on extending the potential merits of extending the Docklands Light Railway to Thamesmead.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Government is committed to supporting the delivery of housing across the country, including in London, ensuring developments are supported by appropriate transport infrastructure as we build back better from this pandemic.
Exploratory work to assess the scale of the opportunity and potential options at Thamesmead & Beckton Riverside is underway, with the Government and Homes England working together with the Greater London Authority and Transport for London.
Asked by: Abena Oppong-Asare (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the Docklands Light Railway to Thamesmead.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Government is committed to supporting the delivery of housing across the country, including in London, ensuring developments are supported by appropriate transport infrastructure as we build back better from this pandemic.
The scale of the opportunity, and potential options, at Thamesmead & Beckton Riverside is being explored. The Government and Homes England are working together with the Greater London Authority and Transport for London to do this.
Asked by: Abena Oppong-Asare (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the impact of IR35 changes on the number of drivers available to the haulage industry.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The off-payroll working rules (IR35) are designed to ensure individuals working like employees but through their own limited or personal service company, pay broadly the same Income Tax and National Insurance contributions as those who are directly employed.
This is not a new tax; the reform improves compliance with existing rules. Non-compliance with these rules was widespread and it is estimated that this would have cost the Exchequer £1.3 billion per year by 2023/24 if not addressed. The Government had delayed the introduction of the changes by a year to April 2021 in recognition of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
We have no data on the impact on the number of HGV drivers.