Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 29 November 2017 to Question 114943, whether his Department has set a target for the proportion of resources manufactured in the UK that will be used to construct High Speed 2.
Answered by Paul Maynard
As referred to in the response to Question 114943, HS2 Ltd has made it a priority to engage with British firms through trade associations and business networks so that they are ready to compete for the opportunities offered by HS2 as part of an open, fair and transparent procurement process, which will deliver best value for money for the taxpayer.
The current HS2 Tier 1 supply chain is comprised of 1,498 suppliers, of which 98 per cent are UK suppliers (based on postcode of registered address) and 69 per cent are small and medium size enterprise suppliers (based on turnover). A significant component in High Speed 2 construction will be that of steel. The Secretary of State has said that he expects to match the existing record of 95 per cent of steel in rail being UK steel.
Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 29 November 2017 to Question 114759, on railways: Greater Manchester, whether as part of the range of issues discussed his Department discussed with Transport for the North and Transport for Greater Manchester transport connectivity in Leigh was specifically discussed.
Answered by Paul Maynard
The Secretary of State has regular meetings with Transport for the North and Transport for Greater Manchester, where a range of issues are discussed.
We do not comment on the issues that are discussed at individual meetings.
Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 November 2017 to Question 114760, on railways: Leigh, whether his Department will commit to make an assessment of the costs and benefits of a direct train line and station to the town of Leigh.
Answered by Paul Maynard
The Government’s policy is that it is for local authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) to determine the best way to meet local transport needs and take the first step in evaluating benefits and prioritising available resources. We are happy to work with promoters to develop their scheme to ensure that it is deliverable and gives value for money as well as being affordable.
Promoters of new stations are directed to the recent research document published by the Campaign for Better Transport “Expanding the Railways”. Endorsed by the Department, this provides advice and guidance to organisations seeking to open or reopen railway lines and stations.
Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 November to Question 114760, on railway: Leigh, what criteria his Department uses to commission an assessment into the costs and benefits of a direct train line and station to an area.
Answered by Paul Maynard
The Government’s policy is that it is for local authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) to determine the best way to meet local transport needs and take the first step in evaluating benefits and prioritising available resources. We are happy to work with promoters to develop their scheme to ensure that it is deliverable and gives value for money as well as being affordable.
Promoters of new stations are directed to the recent research document published by the Campaign for Better Transport “Expanding the Railways”. Endorsed by the Department, this provides advice and guidance to organisations seeking to open or reopen railway lines and stations.
Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to improve transport links between inner cities and suburban towns.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Government has announced a £1.7 billion Transforming Cities Fund to improve intra-urban connectivity within English city regions and boost productivity. Half of the fund will be allocated to the six mayoral combined authorities on a per capita basis, with the remainder allocated by competition.
Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the delivery of High Speed 2 uses resources manufactured in the UK; and what the Government's target is for the proportion of such resources manufactured in the UK.
Answered by Paul Maynard
HS2 Ltd has made it a priority to engage with British firms through trade associations and business networks so that they are ready to compete for the opportunities offered by HS2 as part of an open, fair and transparent procurement process. The HS2 procurement process has energised the supply chain and created opportunities for businesses large and small right across the country.
HS2 Ltd ensures an open and fair procurement process which complies with UK procurement law and Government policies, including those for steel.
It is estimated that 25,000 jobs will be supported by the construction of HS2, including 2,000 new apprenticeships.
Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with (a) Transport for the North and (b) Transport for Greater Manchester on rail connectivity in Leigh; and what steps he is taking to improve rail connectivity in that region.
Answered by Paul Maynard
The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Transport for the North (TfN) and Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), where a range of issues are discussed.
The Government’s Rail investment and HS2 programmes will lead to improved connectivity for the Greater Manchester area, including Wigan, Warrington, Bolton and central Manchester. Leigh will benefit from this.
TfGM are advancing their wider plans for connectivity across the city region through their Greater Manchester 2040 Transport Strategy and TfN has now been established as a statutory sub-national transport body to assess transport priorities in the region.
Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the planned criteria are for the allocation of the £1.7bn Transforming Cities Fund to improve transport connectivity.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
As the Chancellor announced at Budget, Greater Manchester will receive £243 million from the Transforming Cities Fund. It will be for the Mayor and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to decide whether to use this allocation to develop projects to improve connectivity in Leigh constituency. After allowing for allocations to the other Mayoral combined authorities, the remaining half of the fund will be open to bids from English cities.
Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will allocate Transforming Cities funding to improve transport connectivity in Leigh constituency.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
As the Chancellor announced at Budget, Greater Manchester will receive £243 million from the Transforming Cities Fund. It will be for the Mayor and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to decide whether to use this allocation to develop projects to improve connectivity in Leigh constituency. After allowing for allocations to the other Mayoral combined authorities, the remaining half of the fund will be open to bids from English cities.