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Written Question
Plastics: Pollution
Tuesday 20th February 2024

Asked by: Bob Seely (Conservative - Isle of Wight)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government has made representations to the International Maritime Organisation on the potential merits of classifying pre-production plastic pellets, nurdles, as a hazardous shipment.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Yes, the Government has made representations to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on the classification of plastic pellets as harmful substances.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), which provides the UK’s representation to the IMO, has been actively involved in the discussions about, and development of, both voluntary and mandatory measures for the transport by sea of plastic pellets. The UK, in conjunction with a number of other IMO member states, has submitted a proposal to the IMO to amend the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) in order to identify plastic pellets as a harmful substance and to establish mandatory requirements for their transport by sea.


Written Question
Ferries: Electrification
Tuesday 14th June 2022

Asked by: Bob Seely (Conservative - Isle of Wight)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the possibility of using funding under UK SHORE to support the electrification of cross-Solent ferries.

Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

The UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) has been allocated £206m research and development funding to address the technological barriers to domestic maritime decarbonisation. As such, DfT has not made a specific assessment of using funding from UK SHORE to support the electrification of cross-Solent ferries. However, UK SHORE interventions will have a direct reduction of emissions impact on our domestic ferries and lifeline services.


Written Question
Cycling: Infrastructure
Wednesday 12th January 2022

Asked by: Bob Seely (Conservative - Isle of Wight)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to improve cycling infrastructure (a) on the Isle of Wight and (b) in other isolated and island communities.

Answered by Trudy Harrison

The Department will continue to make active travel funding available to local transport authorities, including those with isolated and island communities, as part of its unprecedented £2 billion of investment in cycling and walking over the rest of this Parliament. In 2018, the Department provided technical support to the Isle of Wight Council to plan cycling and walking networks on the island, enabling it to adopt its first Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan covering Newport and Ryde in April 2020. In 2020, £297,600 of Active Travel funding was allocated to the Isle of Wight in two tranches. An announcement on allocations for the latest round of active travel capital funding will be made shortly.


Written Question
Transport: Infrastructure
Wednesday 12th February 2020

Asked by: Bob Seely (Conservative - Isle of Wight)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate he has made of the average (a) amount and (b) proportion of the original cost estimate of overspend on major infrastructure projects.

Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The Department does not calculate the information requested.

Information about the Department’s projects is published annually in the Department’s Annual Report, available here:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/824019/2018-2019-dft-annual-report-web.pdf.

Information can also be found in the Annual Report and Accounts of individual delivery bodies.

In addition to the Department’s own processes, financial and other relevant information about the performance of our largest projects, is published annually by the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA). The latest (2019) Annual Report can be found here:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/817654/IPA_AR_MajorProjects2018-19_web.pdf


Written Question
Transport: Planning Permission
Thursday 30th January 2020

Asked by: Bob Seely (Conservative - Isle of Wight)

Question to the Department for Transport:

What recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the adequacy of planning requirements for new housing developments in relation to (a) motorists, (b) cyclists and (c) pedestrians.

Answered by George Freeman

The Department works closely with MHCLG on planning policy related to transport for new housing, but we need to go further to ensure better integration at all scales.

The National Planning Policy Framework ensures sustainable transport issues are included at the beginning of housing planning and decision making and a projected £2.4bn will be invested over this parliament to support local authorities to develop ambitious Local Cycling and Walking Plans.


Written Question
South Western Railway
Monday 13th January 2020

Asked by: Bob Seely (Conservative - Isle of Wight)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his policy is on the future of South Western Railway; and what plans he has for the future funding of the Island Line railway.

Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

As part of responsible contingency planning, we have measures in place on every franchise to protect the interests of passengers and taxpayers, and to ensure that services keep running and the taxpayer is reimbursed if a franchise is unable to deliver the services required. The Island Line will continue to operate under the South Western Railway franchise. On 16 September 2019 I announced significant investment on the Island Line confirming our determination to provide passengers across the country with the modern rail network they expect.


Written Question
South Western Railway: Standards
Thursday 31st October 2019

Asked by: Bob Seely (Conservative - Isle of Wight)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average speed was of South Western Railway trains operating between (a) London and Portsmouth and (b) Southampton and Woking in the last 12 months.

Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The Department does not hold this information. However, my Hon. Friend may wish to contact South Western Railway and Network Rail, who may be able to provide him with the data he requires.


Written Question
Aviation
Monday 12th March 2018

Asked by: Bob Seely (Conservative - Isle of Wight)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that general aviation is a catalyst for future growth and high-tech jobs; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Jesse Norman

The new Aviation Strategy will address the potential, the needs and the concerns of all types of aviation. This includes including General Aviation, and its potential to be a catalyst for future growth and high-tech jobs.

The Government recognises the importance of the UK’s General Aviation sector and has appointed Byron Davies to be the General Aviation Champion. This Champion will be tasked with engaging with the sector, developing a thorough understanding of the relevant issues, and championing the role that it plays in the economy and society. At the end of 2018 he will deliver a report on the value of general aviation to the economy. He will have the help of York Aviation, which we have commissioned to carry out research on airfields of strategic significance.


Written Question
Solent
Thursday 16th November 2017

Asked by: Bob Seely (Conservative - Isle of Wight)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government classifies the Solent as (a) an estuary or (b) open water.

Answered by John Hayes

The body of water defined as The Solent is neither classified as an estuary nor as open-water. The Solent is a strait that separates the Isle of Wight from mainland England. For the purposes of safe navigation and equipment requirements for ships, the Solent is classified as Category D waters, defined as ‘tidal rivers and estuaries where the significant wave height could not be expected to exceed 2.0 metres at any time’.


Written Question
Railways: Ryde
Thursday 12th October 2017

Asked by: Bob Seely (Conservative - Isle of Wight)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the cost of necessary infrastructure works on the Ryde Pier rail route will be funded by Network Rail; and whether such funding will be borne by the (a) public purse and (b) franchise.

Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The infrastructure on the Isle of Wight is owned by Network Rail and the responsibilities for maintenance and renewal of these assets is apportioned between Network Rail and the Train Operating Company (South Western Railway, SWR) under the terms of the lease between these organisations. This lease is due for renewal in 2019.

We would expect Network Rail to make provision for any routine maintenance and renewal works required within their overall cost base for activities for Control Period 6 and to reflect these in the renewed lease. Ultimately, costs falling to Network Rail are borne by the public purse.

In addition to this, South Western Railway are due to submit a costed option to the Secretary of State by the end of March 2018 in relation to the future operation of the Island Line. To the extent that this is acceptable, it may result in an adjustment to franchise payments made to Government by the franchisee. SWR are in the process of consulting with local stakeholders regarding options.