Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to page 75 of the Budget, how much of the £130 million announced for repairs of roads and bridges he plans will be spent in Calderdale; and when he expects Calderdale council to be in receipt of such funds.
Answered by Andrew Jones
From the total funding of £180 million the Department for Transport has made available to assist local highway authorities affected by this winter storms, including £130 million as announced in the Budget 2016, we have agreed to allocate a total of £25 million to Calderdale Council to help repair damage to the local highway infrastructure for which they are responsible. This includes the £5.5 million announced in January 2016 to help replace Elland Bridge.
This funding is in addition to the funding of £20.5 million we are providing to the council for local highways maintenance funding to 2020/21.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will take steps to ensure that all rail users have access to rail fares data which can help them find the cheapest split-ticket fares.
Answered by Claire Perry
Rail fares information for all journeys on the national rail network is available on Train Operating Company and the National Rail Enquiries website. This also includes journey planning information. This can be used by anyone to check fares and find any split ticket opportunity.
The Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) who represent the rail industry make the underlying data available, free of charge, under the terms of a licence arrangement. There are now a number of websites which offer a service to search for split ticket combinations.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will take steps to communicate to learner drivers that their tests have been cancelled in the event of strike action.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) sent emails to candidates who had tests booked during the recent industrial action. The emails advised candidates about the industrial action and reminded them that they could change their test date online without loss of fee by giving three clear working days’ notice. The emails also advised candidates that if they came for a test and it was cancelled because of strike action they could claim out of pocket expenses, and that their test would be rebooked automatically for the earliest possible date at no further charge.
DVSA alerted driving instructors and other stakeholders who are signed up to DVSA’s email alert system, proactively contacted driving instructor associations, displayed posters in driving test centres and published advice for candidates on the GOV.UK website. DVSA also used its social media channels to respond to queries and to direct customers to the guidance on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the (a) implications for his policies and (b) reasons for the finding of the Civil Service People Survey 2015 that Driver and Vehicle Standard Agency staff rated leadership and management the lowest in the civil service.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) acknowledges that its 2015 Civil Service People Survey results are disappointing, and it is determined to improve its leadership and management of change. This is no easy task for an organisation of 4,500 people working across more than 500 sites. It has begun implementing actions to improve staff engagement, including creating forums for specific groups of staff to contribute to change, and Directorate and team meetings focussing specifically on staff engagement. It is also sending out its corporate senior leaders to talk to, and more importantly, to listen to its public-facing operational staff.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Calder Valley Line will be used as a diversion during the electrification of the Manchester to Leeds via Stalybridge line; and what assessment he has made of the merits of those diverted trains calling at Sowerby Bridge.
Answered by Andrew Jones
As announced on 30 September, Network Rail are working with the Department and Rail North to develop a new plan for electrification of the TransPennine line to focus on delivering key passenger benefits as quickly as possible. In his letter to the Secretary of State, Sir Peter Hendy, the chairman of Network Rail, stated that the planning of this work will be concluded by the end of 2017. The intention is to use the Calder Valley Line as a diversion during the works on the North Transpennine Line via Stalybridge. The details of the calling patterns of the diverted trainsare not yet determined, as the works need to be planned first. The Department and Rail North will work with the new train operators over the next few years to plan the calling patterns. The new train operators will take over from April 2016.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2015 to Question 11117, when speed and capacity improvements will be started between Hebden Bridge and Bradford.
Answered by Andrew Jones
Network Rail are currently preparingadraftupdate tothe Enhancements Delivery Planfor publicationin due course. This will provide details of individual projects. Following publication,my Department will hold a short period of stakeholder consultation.The works on the Calder Valley, which include the route between Hebden Bridge and Bradford, are currently being planned. The intention is to complete the works in phases, starting at the Western end and finishing in time to provide a diversionary route such that the Transpennine Route Upgrade can be completed by 2022.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
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 schemes recommended for prioritisation in the report of the Rail North Electrification Task Force, published in March 2015; and if he will prioritise electrification of the Calder Valley rail line.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The North of England Electrification Task Force placed the Calder Valley Line in the top tier of lines it recommended for future electrification. Network Rail is currently updating its national electrification strategy, which will include the Calder Valley line, and will take the Task Force’s recommendations into account. The updated strategy will be subject to public consultation during 2016 and inform the Government’s strategy for Rail for 2019-2024.