Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had recent discussions with (a) the Rail Delivery Group and (b) each of the train operating companies under contract with his Department on proposals for ticket office closures.
Answered by Huw Merriman
The Department holds meetings regularly with the Rail Delivery Group and industry about the need to reform and modernise rail.
Together with industry we want to modernise the passenger experience by moving staff out from ticket offices to more visible and accessible roles around the station.
To propose any changes to the opening hours, or the closure of ticket offices, train operating companies must follow the process set out in the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement.
Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will instruct train operating companies to produce proposals for public consultation on ticket office closures through the Schedule 17 major change process.
Answered by Huw Merriman
If train operating companies propose to change their ticket office opening hours they must follow the industry process as set out in the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement.
Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether any of the train operating companies under contract with his Department have indicated that they plan to table proposals for ticket office closures via the Schedule 17 major change process in the next (a) month, (b) two months and (c) six months.
Answered by Huw Merriman
If Train Operating Companies propose to change their ticket office opening hours they must follow the industry process as set out in the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement (TSA).
Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of giving the (a) Parliamentary Service and Health Ombudsman and (b) another regulatory body powers to regulate the Port of London Authority.
Answered by Richard Holden - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
The department has considered including the Port of London Authority (PLA) within the remit of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO). The department does not view this as a sensible course of action at this time.
The Ombudsman can investigate any action taken by, or on behalf, a government department or other authority to which the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 Act applies. Such “action” is in relation to the exercise of administrative functions of that department or authority. The PLA is not a government department, and it is not taking action on behalf of one. It is a self-funding trust port and not a public body in the sense that the other bodies regulated by the PHSO are.
It and indeed all other UK ports are already regulated, primarily by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, but also by other bodies which includes, but are not limited to, the Marine Management Organization, local councils and the Financial Conduct Authority.
Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether any (a) managers or (b) members of the Board of London North Eastern Railway are entitled to (i) free rail travel or (ii) rail staff travel facilities.
Answered by Huw Merriman
The renumeration packages between the organisation and Board members, Directors or managers are a matter for the individual organisations.
Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether any (a) directors or (b) members of the Board of DfT OLR Holdings Limited are entitled to (i) free rail travel and (ii) rail staff travel facilities.
Answered by Huw Merriman
The renumeration packages between the organisation and Board members, Directors or managers are a matter for the individual organisations.
Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether any (a) managers and (b) members of the Board of Northern Trains Ltd are entitled to (i) free rail travel and (ii) rail staff travel facilities.
Answered by Huw Merriman
The renumeration packages between the organisation and Board members, Directors or managers are a matter for the individual organisations.
Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether any managers at the Transpennine Express are entitled to (a) free rail travel or (b) rail staff travel facilities.
Answered by Huw Merriman
The renumeration packages between the organisation and Board members, Directors or managers are a matter for the individual organisations.
Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will have discussions with the Mayor of London on the potential merits of reintroducing the concession allowing people aged 60 and over to travel during peak hours.
Answered by Richard Holden - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
The Mayor of London has decided to remove the concession allowing people aged 60+ to travel for free before 9am on weekdays on TfL’s services, and before 9:30am on National Rail services operating in London.
Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of his policy on the Transport Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill on the UK's obligations under (a) ILO Convention 87 and (b) the EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement.
Answered by Huw Merriman
The Department made a detailed assessment of the potential impact of the Bill on the UK’s obligations under the ILO Convention 87 and the EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement during the policy development stage.
The ILO has previously accepted that minimum service levels are in principle consistent with the right to strike, and many EU nations (such as Spain and Italy) have minimum service provisions as part of their domestic legislation.