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Written Question
Shipping: Conditions of Employment
Tuesday 30th January 2024

Asked by: Gavin Newlands (Scottish National Party - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress he has made implementing the nine-point plan for seafarers published on 6 July 2022.

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

The Government has made substantial progress on implementing its Nine Point Plan for Seafarer Protections. The UK continues to play a leading global role in improving seafarer welfare.


Written Question
Home Energy and Lifestyle Management: Green Deal Scheme
Monday 29th January 2024

Asked by: Gavin Newlands (Scottish National Party - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of green deal mis-selling by Home Energy and Lifestyle Management Limited.

Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

In Green Deal mis-selling cases, my Right Hon. Friend the Secretary of State has power to reduce or cancel loans where there has been a breach of the relevant rules, and she is satisfied the consumer has suffered, or is likely to suffer, substantive loss. The financial impact of sanctions falls to the loan provider.

Public expenditure relating to mis-selling by Home Energy and Lifestyle Management Limited is limited to legal costs plus initial case reviews by the Financial Ombudsman Service, estimated at approximately £324,000. There are also staff and administration costs, but it is not possible to provide an estimate of these without incurring disproportionate cost.


Written Question
Train Operating Companies: Contracts
Monday 29th January 2024

Asked by: Gavin Newlands (Scottish National Party - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on which train operating companies have engaged external contractors for revenue protection (a) on trains and (b) at stations.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

My Department is aware that external contractors to support improved revene protection have been engaged for Chiltern and Northern on trains and for Southeastern, Chiltern, Northern and Govia Thameslink Railway at stations. It is important that train operating companies are protecting revenue and that passengers are paying for their fare, reducing the subsidy from taxpayers into the railway. Over the last three years, the Government has contributed £45.9bn, just over £1,500 per household, to the running of the railways which is unsustainable.


Written Question
Shipping: Isle of Man
Thursday 25th January 2024

Asked by: Gavin Newlands (Scottish National Party - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has had discussions with the Isle of Man Government on employment practices on Isle of Man Steam Packet Company passenger ships that use UK ports.

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

My Department has had no such discussions.


Written Question
Cycle to Work Scheme: Fees and Charges
Thursday 25th January 2024

Asked by: Gavin Newlands (Scottish National Party - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 15 November 2023 to Question 260 on Cycle to Work Scheme: Fees and Charges, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of administration fees charged by providers of services operated under the Cycle to Work scheme on independent cycle shops.

Answered by Gareth Davies - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HM Treasury has not made any such assessment.


Written Question
Railways: Postal Services
Thursday 25th January 2024

Asked by: Gavin Newlands (Scottish National Party - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions have taken place between his Department, Royal Mail Group Ltd, and rolling stock leasing companies on future rail freight capacity for (a) parcels and (b) letter traffic.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

My officials have had general discussions with rail freight industry stakeholders, including a rolling stock leasing company, on various initiatives stakeholders are planning or undertaking for transporting parcels and letters by rail freight. Express Freight was identified as an emerging core market in our recently announced rail freight growth target and we are keen to support its development. In 2022 Varamis Ltd was awarded a grant through our ‘First of a Kind’ initiative to support its activities in developing express rail freight.


Written Question
Avanti West Coast: Communication
Thursday 25th January 2024

Asked by: Gavin Newlands (Scottish National Party - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had discussions with Avanti West Coast on their internal communications strategy since 10 January 2024.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Senior officials are having discussions with Avanti West Coast relating to recent issues following an internal presentation that was leaked which concerned its contractual Service Quality Regime. Ministers and senior officials are alsospeaking to First Rail Holdings (Avanti’s parent company).


Written Question
Fujitsu: Contracts
Thursday 18th January 2024

Asked by: Gavin Newlands (Scottish National Party - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the (a) number and (b) individual value of contracts with Fujitsu entered into by (i) executive agencies of the Department for Transport, (ii) the Northern Lighthouse Board, (iii) Trinity House, (iv) the Civil Aviation Authority and (v) the British Transport Police Authority since 2012.

Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

I can confirm that currently there are no live contracts between Fujitsu and the entities you have listed.


Written Question
Railways: North of England
Monday 18th December 2023

Asked by: Gavin Newlands (Scottish National Party - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Network North: Transforming British Transport, published in October 2023, what estimate he has made of the Barnett consequentials to (a) Northern Ireland, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales as a result of the proposals contained in that document.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The Network North announcement is being funded by redirecting HS2 funding. The Barnett formula will continue to apply in the usual way.

To note any changes to devolved administration funding will be confirmed at relevant fiscal events and Estimates. All fiscal decisions are a matter for HM Treasury


Written Question
Industrial Relations
Tuesday 5th December 2023

Asked by: Gavin Newlands (Scottish National Party - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the report of the Committee on Freedom of Association of the International Labour Organization on Case No. 3432 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, whether her Department plans to take steps to implement the recommendations in paragraph 651 of that report.

Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government will consider the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Committee on Freedom of Association’s recommendations and will provide information on these to the ILO Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations (CEACR) in due course.

The Government remains committed to all ILO Conventions we have ratified, including Convention 87 on the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise, and Convention 98 on the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining.