Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing the number of stopping services at East Midlands Parkway to support the growth of (a) the East Midlands Airport and (b) the economy in that region; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of specifying an increase in the number of stopping services at that station in the upcoming tender for that franchise in order to better serve passengers using East Midlands Airport.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
The Government and rail industry are investing in the biggest improvement in rail travel since the Victorian era, including through the upgrade of the Midland Main Line. This programme will improve rail journeys for passengers using the Midland Main Line to travel into London St Pancras.
In developing the specification for the next East Midlands franchise it is important that airport passenger services are properly considered. We are considering options for future rail services to and from East Midlands Parkway and my Department has engaged with East Midlands Airport to understand their proposals. In our public consultation, held last summer, we asked stakeholders how the train service could be better at meeting the needs of passengers travelling to and from airports within the East Midlands.
The consultation closed on 11 October 2017. All options for rail services in the next franchise are subject to analysis of the potential benefits and the outcome of our consultation with stakeholders. Thus, no decisions have been made on rail services that will be specified for the next franchise. Any outcome will seek to secure the best value for money for the taxpayer and be in the best interests of rail passengers.
The next franchise is planned to start in August 2019. Invitations to Tender (ITT) are due to be issued to potential bidders later this year. The ITT will set out the minimum requirements and provide the baseline that we expect the next franchise to build on.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects HS2 Ltd to implement discretionary arrangements to assist property owners affected by the High Speed 2 route.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The long-term discretionary assistance schemes are available for the London to West Midlands (Phase One) and the West Midlands to Crewe (Phase 2a) sections of HS2. The interim Exceptional Hardship Scheme (EHS) is available for the remainder of the route (Phase 2b). A consultation on the long-term discretionary compensation and assistance schemes to replace the EHS for Phase 2b will be launched at the time of the route announcement in autumn this year.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what provisions are in place to enable airports to ban passengers from their premises; under what circumstances such provisions may be used; and how many passengers were banned from (a) Leeds Bradford International, (b) Belfast International, (c) East Midlands, (d) Edinburgh, (e) Glasgow International, (f) Manchester, (g) Newcastle International, (h) London Gatwick, (i) London Luton, (j) London Stansted and (k) London Heathrow Airport in each year from 2010 to 2015 to date.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
An airport company may prohibit a person from entering the Airport under provisions in their byelaws.
As this is a matter for the airport concerned the Department does not hold details of any person so prohibited.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what comparative assessment his Department has made of methods used in other European countries to detect and prevent speeding offences.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Department has not carried out a formal comparative assessment of methods used in other European countries to detect and prevent speeding. However, the Department does have ongoing discussions with other Member States on road safety issues, including tackling speed. The Department also regularly requests European comparisons when carrying out research into road safety topics.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will commission a strategic environmental assessment of the proposal for a High Speed 3 line between Leeds and Manchester.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Government is still developing and considering proposals for High Speed 3 (HS3). As such it is too early to say whether or not we would complete a strategic environmental assessment. As we move ahead with HS3, we will ensure that an appropriate approach is taken to assessing environmental impacts and considering alternatives, and that any proposed scheme is developed in line with relevant domestic and European legislation.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what arrangements are in place to correct errors of fact in the High Speed 2 Phase One Environment Statement.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The HS2 Phase One Environment Statement, as deposited in November 2013, was peer reviewed by experts in their field to ensure it was of the highest quality. The subsequent consultation allowed the public to comment on its content and issues contained in the responses received were included in the report by Parliament’s Independent Assessor, which was laid in the House of Commons on 9 April 2014. Where new information has become available through consultation responses that might give rise to new likely significant effects, these effects will be brought before Parliament through a Supplementary Environmental Statement in accordance with the Standing Orders of the House.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what changes to the proposed route alignment of High Speed 2 have resulted from feedback received during the High Speed 2 Community Forum process.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
In developing the route alignment for HS2 Phase One a wide variety of suggestions have been considered from many different sources, including the Community Forums. The main local alternatives considered are described in the Environmental Statement published in November 2013. These can be found in section 2.6 in each of the Volume 2 Community Forum area reports. Given the scale of suggestions received it would not be possible or practical to identify those changes that are a direct result of the Community Forums alone.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much he estimates will have to be spent protecting the High Speed 2 track on phase 1 and phase 2 against the effects of mining subsidence; and whether that sum is included in the overall projected cost.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
On Phase One there are no specific allowances relating to mining subsidence in the cost estimate as there is no active mining below the route, nor any recorded abandoned mining shown in the publically available records that have been researched. Physical ground investigations and desktop studies of existing of records will be undertaken prior to construction of the railway, and allowances have been made in both the cost estimate and the project contingency for any ground treatments that are identified.
On Phase Two there is an allowance within the cost estimate for the risks around crossing open cast quarries, mines and landfill sites and the current level of design reflects where appropriate the difficulty of crossing these type of areas.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many referrals have been made to him where a local planning authority is minded to approve an application for planning permission against the advice of HS2 Ltd; and what his decision has been on each such referral.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
There have been no referrals made to the Secretary of State for Transport where a local planning authority is minded to approve an application for planning permission against the advice of HS2 Ltd.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many consultation requests from local planning authorities under the safeguarding directions for Phase One have been received by HS2 Ltd since 9 July 2013; and from which local planning authorities such consultation requests have been received.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
Since 9 July 2013, HS2 Ltd received 60 consultation requests from local planning authorities under the safeguarding directions for the London to West Midlands section of HS2. The requests were received from the following local planning authorities:
Birmingham City Council,
Hertfordshire County Council,
London Borough of Brent,
London Borough of Ealing,
London Borough of Hillingdon,
Lichfield District Council,
London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham,
North Warwickshire Borough Council,
Oxfordshire County Council,
Stratford-upon-Avon District Council,
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council,
South Northamptonshire Council,
Warwickshire County Council,
Westminster City Council,
Aylesbury Vale District Council,
London Borough of Camden.