Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the level of risk of catching covid-19 whilst travelling by train.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
Since the beginning of the pandemic, my Department has closely monitored scientific evidence published in relation to SARS-CoV-2 transmission risks and available mitigation measures. Based on the analysis of a wide range of sources, including academic scientific publications, domestic and international policy documents, and technical briefs, our assessment is that there is no evidence that public transport is a major driver of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the UK.
Throughout the pandemic, the Government has provided advice to passengers and transport operators to help people to travel with confidence, recognising the importance of passengers making informed decisions. This includes our Safer Travel guidance aimed at passengers, and our Safer Transport guidance aimed at transport operators. We will continue to support passengers as they return to travelling by rail.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with Transport for London on financial support for London’s transport network.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
The Government is committed to keeping London moving. In October 2020, the Government agreed an extraordinary funding and financing package for TfL worth up to £1.7 billion, in addition to the earlier May 2020 deal worth up to £1.6 billion.
The Department for Transport regularly engages with Transport for London, including in relation to understanding the impacts of Covid-19 on TfL’s finances and what further support may be required.
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 value of Transport for London to the national economy.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
No specific assessment has been made. London’s economy represents 23% of UK GDP. Transport for London has continued to provide transport services over the last year, allowing key workers to get to their workplaces and other essential journeys to take place. It will play an important part in London’s economic recovery.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with his Department on the potential effect of rail infrastructure projects on reducing national carbon emissions.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
I have had no recent direct discussions with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy on this issue. Officials from both departments regularly discuss the role of the railway in delivering the Government’s commitment to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
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 is taking to introduce more flexible rail fares for commuters in (a) London and (b) England in response to an increase in remote and flexible working during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
The Government recognises the change in travel patterns, the impact of COVID-19 and therefore the need to accommodate a more flexible style of working and travelling. We also understand concerns about the cost of some rail fares and the impact that this can have on people’s budgets.
The Department has proactively approached the rail industry and is currently considering proposals received from train operators who both operate services into London and those who operate elsewhere in England, that try to ensure better value and convenience for travellers. Train operators who already offer some form of flexible ticketing for commuting into London include c2c, Chiltern Railways, Gatwick Express, Greater Anglia, South Western Railway, and Govia Thameslink. Commuting within London falls under the responsibility of the Mayor of London.
These are unprecedented times and our immediate focus must be on ensuring that we keep the railway available and safe for those who need to rely upon it.
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 implications for his policies of (a) the UN's declaration of the second Decade of Action for Road Safety (2021-30) and (b) the Stockholm Declaration made at the Third Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety: Achieving Global Goals 2030 Stockholm, 19–20 February 2020; and what plans his Department has to review speed limits.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
The Government takes road safety very seriously, and supports the aims of both of these to prevent 50% of road traffic deaths and injuries. The Government was active in the development of these important international documents, with Ministerial attendance to the Stockholm Ministerial Conference and officials actively working on the drafting of the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety Declaration. The Government continues to support activities that promote road safety both domestically and internationally and support the aims of both the UN and Stockholm Declarations.
With regard to 20mph, local authorities have the power to determine speed limits on the local road network, and are asked to keep the limits under review with changing circumstances. There are currently no plans to review the English national limits.
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 officials or ministers in his Department met with the Kent Resilience Forum to discuss Operation Brock in (a) 2018, (b) 2019 and (c) to date in 2020.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
I am responding to this question as the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport. Official Kent Resilience Forum (KRF) meetings to discuss Operation Brock are divided into strategic and tactical working groups. These are the meetings where the whole KRF are in attendance and consist of Government Department officials, agencies and Kent stakeholders. In 2018 there were five strategic and five tactical meetings. In 2019, there were 22 strategic and 22 tactical meetings. In 2020, there have been nine strategic and eight tactical meetings to date.
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 ability for passengers to maintain safe social distance at older railway stations that have not have platform extensions.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
Rail operators are working hard to facilitate social distancing between passengers wherever possible, in line with Public Health England advice. Measures include making regular station speaker announcements, the installation of clear floor markings and the provision of extra staff to manage passenger flows and provide guidance to passengers. Operational plans are in place to facilitate this and continue to be reviewed.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what equalities impact assessment his Department made ahead of its decision to make it a requirement of providing emergency funding to TfL to end the Freedom Pass and impose peak time restriction on the Oyster 60+ card in London on people (a) on low incomes and (b) with disabilities.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
The £1.6 billion Extraordinary Funding and Financing Agreement to enable Transport for London to continue to run services contained a series of conditions, which were agreed by the Mayor of London and Deputy Mayor for Transport, to facilitate safe travel on public transport in London.
While the temporary changes to the validity of the Older Person's Freedom Pass, 60+ Oyster photocard and English National Concessionary Scheme in London have removed free travel for users of these passes from 04:30 to 09:00 Monday to Friday, the provision for over 60s travel in London is still greater than that elsewhere in England, where the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme allows cardholders to travel on buses across the UK for free after 09:30.
An Equality Impact Assessment of the temporary changes to over 60s travel in London was completed by Transport for London and is published here: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/md2642_appendix_2_-_eqia.pdf
The temporary changes do not affect passengers with a Disabled Freedom Pass who are still able to travel at all times using their Pass if they have to use public transport for their journey.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what equalities impact assessment of low income families his Department made ahead of its decision to make it a requirement of providing emergency funding to TfL to change fares in London for children and young people under 18.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
The £1.6 billion Extraordinary Funding and Financing Agreement to enable Transport for London (TfL) to continue operating services contained a series of conditions, which were agreed by the Mayor of London and Deputy Mayor for Transport, to facilitate safe travel on public transport in London, including the temporary suspension of free travel for under 18s.
The Department is working closely with TfL on how the temporary suspension can be operationalised, whilst ensuring that any child eligible for free home to school travel under the Education Act 1996 will still receive this. The Department is also completing an Equality Impact Assessment, which will consider whether there are further categories of vulnerable children that should receive free transport.