Asked by: Charles Walker (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent comparative assessment his Department has made of the safety of (a) smart and (b) other motorways; and what evidence was used to make that assessment.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government have cancelled plans for new smart motorways, recognising the lack of confidence felt by drivers and cost pressures. This will allow us to track public confidence and consider safety and economic data over a longer period. The most recent comparative assessment is contained in National Highways Smart motorways stocktake Third year progress report, published in December 2023 (www.nationalhighways.co.uk/our-work/smart-motorways-evidence-stocktake/). In terms of deaths or serious injuries, the latest safety data continues to show that overall, all smart motorway types are safer than conventional motorways.
Asked by: Charles Walker (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to Q338 of the evidence given to the Work and Pensions Committee by the Minister for Pensions on 10 January 2024, HC144, how he plans to use the £12 billion surplus in the Pension Protection Fund.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
No decisions have been made with regard to the reserves held by the Pension Protection Fund (PPF). Operational decisions about the PPF are a matter for the Board of the PPF, who have a key role to play in considering the use of its reserves.
Asked by: Charles Walker (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 8 February 2024 to Question 12888 on Workplace Pensions, for what reason the findings of that work will not be published.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
I would refer the Hon. Gentleman to the previous response. It is not convention to disclose policy discussions between Ministers and officials as a matter of course.