Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to expedite compensation for people required to move home for the construction of HS2.
Answered by Huw Merriman
In all cases, HS2 Ltd seeks to provide compensation in as timely a manner as possible. And the focus of the Department for Transport has always been on devising policies to ensure that transactions are progressed promptly. For instance, the streamlined residential blight (SRB) scheme was introduced to provide a quicker route for property owners to sell their home as the process does not require negotiation on the property value and disturbance items. This goes beyond what is mandated in law (through the Compensation Code).
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will support the introduction of a railcard equivalent with a discount of a third for off-peak rail travel for people (a) living and (b) working in the north of England.
Answered by Huw Merriman
There are a range of existing railcards that offer one third off most rail fares that are available to people living and working in the north of England; these include the Senior Railcard, the 26-30 Railcard and the Disabled Persons Railcard.
Any new discounts or concessions made to rail fares must consider the effect on a certain individual or group and be balanced against the financial impact on fare payers in general and the public purse.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
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 decision of the Transport for the North Board to write to him requesting the end of the Avanti West Coast contract.
Answered by Huw Merriman
The challenges faced on the West Coast will remain regardless of the operator, including longstanding restrictive working practices which require the agreement of unions to amend. To place West Coast Partnership under the Operator of Last Resort would remove the opportunity to retain private sector expertise in both the West Coast as an operator and in the HS2 Shadow Operator function. A full response will be provided to the Transport for the North Board in due course.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
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 Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance Survey Report, published on 19 March 2024.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously, which is why it has reallocated £8.3 billion of HS2 funding to help tackle some of the issues highlighted in the report in question. This funding will be on top of what local authorities were expecting to receive over the next decade, and will, over time, allow them to transform the condition of their local highway networks.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of Create Streets' report entitled Move Free, published on 19 March 2024.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The Honourable Gentleman for Leeds North East introduced me at the launch of the report, where I spoke. I have read it, and will ensure the Department and Active Travel England take its findings into account in the development of future policy and programmes.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to paragraph 4.12 of the Spring Budget 2024, HC 560, what the core level of funding for local roads was before the additional £8.3 billion was announced.
Answered by Guy Opperman
In the 2023/24 financial year, the base level of funding before the additional £8.3 billion multi-year funding uplift was announced was £1.15 billion. This included the one-off £200 million uplift announced in Budget 2023. Prior to this the 2021 Spending Review had confirmed that the core level of funding for local highway maintenance would be a total of £915 million per year, to be shared between all eligible local highway authorities in England over the period 2022/23 to 2024/25. Authorities in London and in receipt of City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) are treated separately.
Funding allocations for highways maintenance can be found on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to announce new and increased dedicated funding for active travel.
Answered by Guy Opperman
Since May 2023, the Department has announced £200 million of capital funding through the Active Travel Fund and almost £60 million of revenue funding to support active travel to school through Bikeability, Walk to School, Big Bike Revival and Modeshift Stars. Active Travel England is preparing to announce the next rounds of Active Travel Fund and Capability Fund allocations shortly.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on the use of the Capability Fund by local authorities to implement cycle (a) loan and (b) share schemes since July 2021.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The most recent monitoring data, from May 2023, indicates that 41 cycle loan and share schemes were being delivered using funding provided by the Capability Fund 2021/22 and 21 schemes thorough Capability Fund 2022/23, with a total value of £1.2 million.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish his response to his Department's consultation on Managing pavement parking, published on 31 August 2020.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The Department has been considering all the views expressed in response to our consultation, and we are currently working through the policy options and the possible legislative opportunities for delivering them. Following conclusion of this process, we will publish our formal response.
The formal consultation response will be available to view at: www.gov.uk/government/consultations/managing-pavement-parking.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish the findings of his Department's review of low-traffic neighbourhoods.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The low traffic neighbourhood review is due to conclude shortly. Once complete, the Department will consider the findings. The results will be published in due course thereafter.