Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the building of the North West Relief Road on congestion in Shrewsbury.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The Department for Transport continues to work with local stakeholders, including the MP and Shropshire Council, and is currently awaiting receipt of the Full Business Case (FBC). The scheme, along with its impact, will be assessed by my department once Shropshire Council submit the FBC.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the implications for hhis policies of changes in the level of airport drop-off fees.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
Drop off charges at airports are a matter for the airport operator as a commercial business to manage and justify. However, the Department for Transport expects car parking at airports to be managed appropriately and consumers treated fairly.
Most airports’ websites contain information on the car parking and drop-off options available and recommendations of the best options depending on the length of stay. For example, Heathrow Airport’s website states that up to 30 minutes free parking is available at their Long Stay car parks where free shuttle buses operate to the terminals. Birmingham Airport’s website states that their “Drop Off” area, a short 5-10 minute walk to the airport, is free for up to 20 minutes.
Passengers or visitors who are unsure of the options available should check the relevant airport’s website prior to travel.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the level of airport drop-off fees.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
Drop off charges at airports are a matter for the airport operator as a commercial business to manage and justify. However, the Department for Transport expects car parking at airports to be managed appropriately and consumers treated fairly.
Most airports’ websites contain information on the car parking and drop-off options available and recommendations of the best options depending on the length of stay. For example, Heathrow Airport’s website states that up to 30 minutes free parking is available at their Long Stay car parks where free shuttle buses operate to the terminals. Birmingham Airport’s website states that their “Drop Off” area, a short 5-10 minute walk to the airport, is free for up to 20 minutes.
Passengers or visitors who are unsure of the options available should check the relevant airport’s website prior to travel.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he is taking steps to help reduce airport drop-off fees.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
Drop off charges at airports are a matter for the airport operator as a commercial business to manage and justify. However, the Department for Transport expects car parking at airports to be managed appropriately and consumers treated fairly.
Most airports’ websites contain information on the car parking and drop-off options available and recommendations of the best options depending on the length of stay. For example, Heathrow Airport’s website states that up to 30 minutes free parking is available at their Long Stay car parks where free shuttle buses operate to the terminals. Birmingham Airport’s website states that their “Drop Off” area, a short 5-10 minute walk to the airport, is free for up to 20 minutes.
Passengers or visitors who are unsure of the options available should check the relevant airport’s website prior to travel.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of late night public transportation in Shropshire.
Answered by Richard Holden - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
Decisions on when bus services run are, in most places in England outside London, mainly a matter for the operators concerned. All Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) have engaged with their local bus operators to develop Bus Service Improvement Plans, and Enhanced Partnerships have now been introduced in most areas, including Shropshire. These allow bus operators to have a greater role in delivering improvements for passengers, working with LTAs.
To support services, Shropshire County Council have been paid over £2.5m since March 2020 to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic. They also receive £512,447 every year to subsidise socially necessary bus services
For rail services, it is for the relevant train operator within Shropshire to use their knowledge and expertise in order to determine appropriate provision of services and capacity across different times of day. The Department is engaged in this work when specific changes are proposed.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the (a) reliability of and (b) level of priority allocated to railway services running between (i) Wolverhampton and (ii) Shrewsbury.
Answered by Huw Merriman
Recent levels of reliability on railway services through Shrewsbury have not been acceptable due to a combination of train and infrastructure issues. Train issues have resulted from Transport for Wales (TfW) recently having to withdraw one of its fleets for safety checks, and from West Midlands Trains (WMT) introducing a new fleet on this route which (in common with all new fleets) is taking a while to reach the required levels of reliability.
In addition, there has been an increase in infrastructure issues, some caused by cable theft, and Network Rail has deployed mitigating measures such as enhanced patrols as a result.
The Department and West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE) are closely working with WMT and officials from TfW on these issues. I am assured good progress has been made and improvements in services should be seen by passengers shortly.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to improve the reliability of railway services through Shrewsbury.
Answered by Huw Merriman
Recent levels of reliability on railway services through Shrewsbury have not been acceptable due to a combination of train and infrastructure issues. Train issues have resulted from Transport for Wales (TfW) recently having to withdraw one of its fleets for safety checks, and from West Midlands Trains (WMT) introducing a new fleet on this route which (in common with all new fleets) is taking a while to reach the required levels of reliability.
In addition, there has been an increase in infrastructure issues, some caused by cable theft, and Network Rail has deployed mitigating measures such as enhanced patrols as a result.
The Department and West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE) are closely working with WMT and officials from TfW on these issues. I am assured good progress has been made and improvements in services should be seen by passengers shortly.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to help ensure that rises in rail fares are affordable.
Answered by Huw Merriman
On 5 March regulated rail fares increased by 5.9 per cent, aligned to July 2022 average earnings growth.
By aligning the increase to average earnings growth instead of July RPI of 12.3 per cent, we have more than halved the increase faced by passengers, while ensuring crucial investment into the rail network continues.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding his Department has provided to (a) Shropshire Council and (b) other local authorities for the delivery of sustainable public transport networks in the 2022-23 financial year; and if he will meet the hon. Member for Shrewsbury and Atcham and Shropshire Council to discuss the delivery of (i) public transport and (ii) other transport plans in that area.
Answered by Richard Holden - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
The Government has provided over £2bn in emergency and recovery funding to bus operators and Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) since March 2020 to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic. This includes a further £80m, announced on 17 February, to extend the Bus Recovery Grant for a further three months until 30 June 2023. Of this funding, Shropshire County Council have been allocated over £1.1m in 2022/23. All LTAs in the same period have been allocated over £88m.
The Government also provides around £250m every year through the Bus Service Operators Grant to help operators keep fares down and maintain a larger network than would otherwise be possible. £42m of this funding goes directly to LTAs every year to subsidise socially necessary bus services. Of this funding, Shropshire County Council receives £512,447.
Since 1 January, the majority of single bus journeys in England outside London have been capped at £2 thanks to Government support via the Bus Fare Cap Grant. The initial phase of the scheme, through to 31 March, is backed by up to £60 million. On 17 February, we announced that we will provide up to £75 million to extend the £2 bus fare cap until 30 June 2023.
The Government is also supporting LTAs to deliver improvements to walking and cycling. Shropshire County Council received £116,094 in 22/23 as part of the Active Travel capability fund. The total funding paid to LTAs in the same period was £32.9m.
The Department for Transport regularly engages with LTAs and will continue to do so to support the delivery of sustainable public transport networks.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations his Department has received on the business case for improvements to the Shrewsbury-Black Country-Birmingham rail line.
Answered by Huw Merriman
Midlands Connect submitted a Strategic Outline Business Case (SOBC) for its proposals to upgrade the railway between Shrewsbury and Birmingham to the Department for Transport in 2022.
The benefits of upgrading the line are outlined in the SOBC, including an estimate of the economic impacts of the scheme. We are considering the case for upgrading this line in terms of value for money, affordability, and alignment with the Government’s strategic priorities.
We are committed to publishing the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline (RNEP) update as soon as possible to provide clarity on the progress of projects.