Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of passenger rail performance.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Improved performance is one of this Government’s strategic priorities for rail services. We are determined to enhance services for passengers and deliver better value for money for the taxpayer.
Following a decade of decline, we are starting to see train performance stabilise, with cancellations now no longer rising.
The Rail Minister is continuing to meet with the Managing Directors of all train operators and their Network Rail counterparts, to address poor performance and demand immediate action to raise standards.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to make rail fares more affordable.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We are overhauling the fares system to make it easier for passengers to trust that they are buying the right ticket and getting the best fare. We need to balance affordability for both passengers and taxpayers as we reform fares and deliver Great British Railways, ensuring everyone gets a fair deal.
This year's fares increase of 4.6 per cent was the lowest increase in three years and help to support the Government’s long-term plans to achieve financial sustainability of the railway. Our rail sale, celebrating the 200th anniversary of passenger train in this country, saw passengers travelling with up to 50 per cent discounts on their fares from 17 January to 31 March, accounting for just over 1 million discounted trips, bringing in £9.23 million in gross sales.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the potential impact of changes to the weight of volumetric concrete mixers on (a) the number of journeys undertaken by volumetric concrete mixers and (b) carbon emissions.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Department ran a call for evidence from October to December 2023 seeking views on three potential options on weight limits for Volumetric Concrete Mixers (VCMs). The following factors were considered: reduction in payload per journey, increased waste, and increased vehicle mileage. Information received did not provide any compelling evidence for permitting a weight limit exemption specifically for VCMs.
As part of its consideration of the evidence, the Department for Transport has assessed the potential environmental impacts in accordance with the Environment Act 2021 which requires Ministers of the Crown to have ‘due regard’ to the environmental principles policy statement when making policy.
This is not a change to the policy on weights for VCMs but a decision to continue with the existing policy that a temporary exemption will come to an end in 2028.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the potential impact of changes to the maximum weight of volumetric concrete mixers on the number of lorry drivers required.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The call for evidence conducted from October to December 2023 was an opportunity for respondents to present evidence, but it did not reveal significant new evidence supporting a change in policy.
The outcome of my department’s review into VCMs was published on 18 March. This can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/volumetric-concrete-mixers-review
This is not a change to the policy on weights for VCMs, but a decision to continue with the existing policy that a temporary exemption will come to an end in 2028.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to increase railway capacity.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The department requires its operators to plan services and rail timetables that are designed to meet expected passenger demand. These should be resilient and provide value for money for the taxpayer. Timetables are kept under review and, where appropriate, adjusted to reflect fluctuations in demand.
Individual infrastructure enhancement schemes that may increase capacity will be assessed on their alignment with Government Missions and Transport Priorities, the strength of their business case, and their affordability.
Great British Railways will provide the opportunity to take joined up, whole system decisions that make the best use of the network for passengers and taxpayers.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the bus fare cap on vulnerable people.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
On 1 January, the government introduced a £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London until 31 December 2025. The government is investing over £150 million to deliver the £3 cap, which replaced the £2 cap, and will ensure millions of people, including vulnerable people, can continue to access affordable bus fares and better opportunities all over the country.
If the government had not taken action, the bus fare cap would have ended and fares would have jumped back up to their previous levels on 1 January which could have meant fares soaring above £10 on the most expensive routes.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to make rail fares more affordable.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Whilst it is our ambition through public ownership to deliver a more affordable railway, any long-term changes or concessions made to rail fares policy require balancing against the potential impacts on passengers, taxpayers and the railway. Most regulated rail fares will increase by 4.6 per cent on 2 March 2025. This will be the lowest absolute increase in three years and will support the Government’s long-term plans to achieve financial sustainability of the railway.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to increase access to rail links in rural communities.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Rail has an important role in connecting rural communities as part of the wider transport system. The department requires its train operators to plan services and rail timetables that are designed to meet expected passenger demand. These should be resilient and provide value for money for the taxpayer. These timetables are kept under review and, where appropriate, adjusted to reflect fluctuations in demand.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of passenger rail performance.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Ministers have been clear that rail services have been failing passengers. Cancellations are at a ten-year high and punctuality is inconsistent across the network. We need to improve services for passengers and deliver better value for money for the taxpayer.
Publicly-owned Great British Railways will end years of fragmentation – bringing together track and train to deliver for passengers with more reliable, better-quality services and simpler ticketing and fares. Shadow Great British Railways (SGBR) will start to provide the opportunity to take joined up, whole system decisions that improve performance for the benefit of passengers and taxpayers.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of changes to the bus fare cap on trends in the level of bus users.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government is investing over £150 million to deliver the new £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London from 1 January until 31 December 2025. Under the plans of the previous administration, the £2 cap on bus fares had been due to expire on 31 December 2024, and prior to the Budget, there was no further funding available to maintain a cap on bus fares beyond this point.
The published interim evaluation of the £2 fare cap showed that patronage continued to recover following the COVID 19 pandemic and early evidence from the first two months of the scheme suggested the £2 fare cap may have played a role in this recovery. The final evaluation of the £2 fare cap, including a further assessment of its impact on patronage will be published in due course.