Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to support rural bus routes.
Answered by Richard Holden - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
The Government provides Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) with £42 million annually through the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) for the purpose of subsidising socially necessary services that would otherwise be commercially unviable. The Government also provides over £200 million directly to bus operators every year through the BSOG to keep fares down and help them maintain an extensive network.
The Government initially provided £60 million to help bus operators cap single fares at £2 on services in England outside London from 1 January to 31 March 2023. In addition to this, we will provide up to £75 million to continue to cap single bus fares at £2 in England outside London for a further three months until end June 2023. Over 140 operators covering more than 4,600 routes throughout England are participating in the scheme, including in rural areas, which will help increase patronage on buses and help millions save on their regular travel costs.
Our £20 million Rural Mobility Fund (RMF) is supporting 17 innovative, demand-led minibus trials in rural and suburban areas across 15 local authorities in England. These pilots are exploring whether Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) can serve these communities more effectively than traditional public transport solutions alone.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support his Department is providing to National Highways to tackle littering near major roads and motorways.
Answered by Richard Holden - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
The Department for Transport supports National Highways to deliver the Road Investment Strategy, and operate, maintain, renew and enhance the Strategic Road Network. The Department provides funding to National Highways for operations and maintenance (opex) funding, which includes litter picking and clearance. As part of the second Road Investment Strategy, National Highways is committed to reporting a litter performance indicator. This metric measures the percentage of the Strategic Road Network, on which National Highways is responsible for litter clearance, that is clear of litter and refuse, or predominantly clear of litter and refuse apart from some small items. The Department holds National Highways’ performance against this metric to account and assists the Office of Rail and Road to monitor National Highways.
The Department provides a link with wider Government to influence littering behaviour in a number of ways including through Government’s and National Highways’ Litter Strategies, supporting National Highways’ policymaking, anti-littering campaigns, enforcement, and improvements to operational effectiveness and partnership working.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data his Department holds on the number of (a) slight collisions, (b) serious collisions and (c) fatalities which have been recorded on the section of the A5 between the junctions located at Junction 1 of the M69 and at the A4304 in each year since 2020.
Answered by Richard Holden - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
The number of collisions on the A5 between the junctions located at Junction 1 of the M69 and at the A4304 as reported by the police via the STATS19 system is shown in the table.
Year | Slight collisions | Serious collisions | Fatalities |
2010 | 7 | 2 | 0 |
2011 | 9 | 2 | 1 |
2012 | 6 | 3 | 1 |
2013 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
2014 | 7 | 3 | 2 |
2015 | 8 | 2 | 3 |
2016 | 8 | 1 | 1 |
2017 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
2018 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
2019 | 11 | 2 | 2 |
2020 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
2021 | 5 | 2 | 1 |
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to help increase funding for electric HGV research and development.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
In May 2022, the Department announced an expansion to its Zero Emission Road Freight Demonstrator (ZERFD) programme, which will see hundreds of zero emission HGVs deployed on UK roads. This programme will demonstrate several zero emission HGV technologies at scale on UK roads, and inform which technology, or technology mix, is best suited for use in the UK. This follows £20m of funding provided in 2021/22 as part of the Zero Emission Road Freight Trials (ZERFT) programme for industry to conduct feasibility studies into zero emission HGVs and associated infrastructure, along with the deployment of 20 battery electric trucks.
The demonstrator programme will collect a strong evidence base to enable long-term, strategic infrastructure decisions to be made to decarbonise the road freight sector, both by the Government and industry.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to help improve access to and prevent refusals of service on transport networks to people who use guide dogs.
Answered by Richard Holden - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
Under Sections 168 and 170 of the Equality Act 2010 taxi and PHV drivers must accept the carriage of passengers accompanied by assistance dogs, and the Department has committed to mandating their completion of disability awareness training when Parliamentary time allows. On buses, the Department has committed to require the provision of audible and visible announcements, helping visually impaired passengers to travel with confidence, and new vehicles funded by the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas scheme must be equipped to provide them.
Assistance dogs are permitted on all rail stations and to board train services as long as it is safe for them to do so, and they will not incur any additional fare.
Airlines must legally allow assistance dogs to travel with their owners in the cabin of the aircraft.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when work could begin on the first parts of the Midlands Rail Hub.
Answered by Huw Merriman
The Department expects to receive the Outline Business Case for Midlands Rail Hub today (14th November 2022).
We now need to assess the contribution of the scheme to the Government’s objectives, value for taxpayer money, and affordability.
The Outline Business Case will propose timescales for delivery of the scheme.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of building the Midlands Rail Hub on the economy of (a) the midlands and (b) the UK.
Answered by Huw Merriman
The Department for Transport expects to receive an Outline Business Case for Midlands Rail Hub today, 14th November. We will need to assess the contribution of the scheme to the Government’s objectives – including to the economy of the UK and Midlands region – alongside value for taxpayer money, and affordability considering the forthcoming Autumn Statement.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Midlands Rail Hub on levelling up Leicestershire.
Answered by Huw Merriman
The Department has received the Outline Business Case for Midlands Rail Hub.
We now need to assess the contribution of the scheme to the Government’s objectives, value for taxpayer money, and affordability considering the forthcoming Autumn Statement.
The Outline Business Case will propose timescales for delivery of the scheme.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of installing a self-service ticket machine at Narborough Railway Station.
Answered by Huw Merriman
Decisions on installation of self-service ticket machines at stations are for the relevant train operating company to make. East Midlands Railways is the train operating company responsible for Narborough Railway Station. The department has therefore not made an assessment of installing self-service ticket machines at Narborough Station.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure ticket offices are available at rural railway stations.
Answered by Huw Merriman
We want to move staff out from behind the ticket office window to more visible roles across stations to provide more face-to-face help and assistance to passengers. This would create an opportunity to position staff to provide support where passengers need them the most, on the gateline or platform, whilst still allowing them to help passengers with purchasing tickets when needed. Any potential changes to the opening hours of ticket offices would be led by the train operating company and would need to follow the process set out in the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement.