Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that Network Rail's sale of railway arches was fully scrutinised; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that Network Rail maintains its obligations to protect railway lines above property owned by another company.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Department was fully engaged throughout the sale and approved the business case at each stage of the transaction process. As the NAO report, published on the 2 May 2019 makes clear, the transaction was managed and executed professionally and, based on the price paid for the portfolio, the sale represented value for money.
Network Rail has preserved in full its ability to prevent occupational tenants from damaging or endangering the railway or its operations, to inspect and carry out works required for the repair and renewal of railway infrastructure, and to take back assets as required to deliver railway-related projects. The leasehold structure of the sale was necessary to protect these rights. The ORR – as the regulator for the safety of the railway infrastructure – was satisfied that a leasehold sale would not negatively impact the railway.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential for conflict between Network Rail’s role in providing public infrastructure and acting as a private landlord.
Answered by Andrew Jones
There is no conflict for Network Rail between its statutory role in relation to infrastructure and in acting commercially to generate income to fund the operational railway, in accordance with the terms of Managing Public Money. Its occupational leases are designed to protect the safety, function and operation of the railway, as is the headlease of the sale.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many times his Department has issued a Certificate of Lawfulness to Network Rail for entry to a tenanted railway arch under section 14 of the Railway Regulation Act 1842 in the last five years in (a) London and (b) England.
Answered by Andrew Jones
In the last five years there has only been one instance of Network Rail issuing a Certificate of Lawfulness for entry to a tenanted railway arch and that was in London. In this instance it was an emergency entry without prior consent by the Department for Transport, who were subsequently notified and raised no objections.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to amend road planning regulations to encourage the uptake of cycling; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The Government’s recently strengthened National Planning Policy Framework says that local authorities should promote healthy, inclusive and safe places which encourage walking and cycling. The Department for Transport’s guidance on Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) helps local authorities to identify priorities for investment and a pipeline of projects to encourage more walking and cycling.
The Department has also recently revised its Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions to enable the use of various innovations which will support the uptake of cycling, including low-level cycle signals, a new parallel crossing for pedestrians and cyclists, and new ways of signing cycling and walking routes.
The Department is updating Local Transport Note 2/08 ‘Cycle Infrastructure Design’ and will publish the updated guidance in due course.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has plans to amend the driver’s theory test in relation to (a) pedestrians and (b) cyclists.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency is committed to broadening the scope of vulnerable road users in the car driving theory test.
The multiple choice part of the theory test includes questions on the awareness of, and actions relating to, the vulnerability of pedestrians and cyclists.
The hazard perception element of the theory test contains clips that have been developed to increase the realism of situations involving vulnerable road users, including pedestrians and cyclists.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to ensure the continuation of (a) aviation and (b) ferry travel to the EU in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Answered by Chris Grayling
The EU has agreed a Regulation which would allow for the continuation of flights between the UK and the EU for a period of 12 months if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. The Government has set out how it will reciprocate and allow flights by EU carriers between the EU and the UK to continue. The maritime sector is generally liberalised and neither the UK nor the EU expects there to be any issues with ferry services continuing to operate.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the viability of bringing forward to 2030 the target year for phasing out diesel and petrol-fuelled cars.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Road to Zero sets out the Government’s long-term ambitions to clean up road transport, and the measures now in place to help industry and consumers to make the transition to electric vehicles. It was developed following extensive consultation with environmental groups, the automotive industry and academia.
The Government believes its ambition for at least half of new cars and as many as 70% to be ultra low emission by 2030 strikes the right balance between conflicting environmental, industrial and consumer priorities. However, the Government is actively tracking market developments and will review progress towards our ambitions by 2025.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to reduce air pollutants from motor vehicle fumes.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Road to Zero strategy sets out the actions being taken to reduce emissions in order to improve air quality. It includes details of the Real Driving Emissions legislation applying from September 2017, which limits vehicle emissions of both nitrogen oxides and particulates across a wide range of driving conditions. A further tightening of the Real Driving Emission legislation for nitrogen oxides from new cars will take effect from 1 January 2020.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department's Inclusive Transport strategy published on 25 July 2018, what plans he has to support the introduction of step-free access at all rail stations in the Dulwich and West Norwood constituency.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The Inclusive Transport Strategy, included a commitment to extend our Access for All programme to 2024 with an additional £300m of funding from the public purse.
For stations to be included in the programme they need to be nominated by the industry by 16 November this year. Southern and Southeastern Train Operating Companies will be responsible for nominating individual stations in Dulwich and West Norwood.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department Inclusive Transport Strategy, published on 25 July 2018, how much funding from the public purse the Government plans to allocate for the implementation of that strategy.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The Inclusive Transport Strategy sets out the Government’s plans for delivering a genuinely inclusive transport network for disabled and older people. Key funding announcements made from the public purse include:
This funding is in addition to the activities which will be funded directly by transport operators as part of their delivery of the Inclusive Transport Strategy.