Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to improve the condition of roads in (a) Stoke-on-Trent and (b) Staffordshire.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
The Department for Transport is providing (a) Stoke-on-Trent with over £4.6 million, and (b) Staffordshire with over £28 million through highways maintenance funding, pothole fund, and integrated transport block funding in 21/22. It is for each Council to decide on how this funding, allocated through formula, is utilised based on their respective highway asset management strategy, needs, and priorities.
Recent additional investments include £5 million for Stoke-on-Trent Council’s ‘Keep Stoke Moving’ key corridor Challenge Fund bid won in February 2020, and £2.35 million for Staffordshire County Council to upgrade Chetwynd Bridge, a historic Grade II* structure.
Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Longport Railway Station will be eligible for Network Rail's Access for All scheme.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
All of the funding currently available to Access for All has been allocated to projects. We are in the process of setting the funding envelopes for the next control period. When further funding is available, any station without an accessible route into the station and to all platforms will be a potential candidate.
Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to support hauliers transporting goods internationally.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
A number of measures are in place to support hauliers transporting goods internationally. These include the haulier border readiness campaign, which advertises across digital, radio, trade press, online and outdoor areas, including billboards and advertising vans. This is supported by 46 Information and Advice Sites which provide training on use of the Check an HGV service. 35 of these sites are also providing drivers of HGVs and vans with free COVID-19 tests.
The haulier handbook is readily available on GOV.UK and translated into 13 languages to ensure EU hauliers are aware of requirements to cross the border. The government also delivered seminars at EU industry days and has had exhibition stands at physical and virtual events and conferences across the EU, targeting commercial drivers and haulage firms.
Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to bus services in (a) Stoke-on-Trent and (b) Staffordshire.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
Local bus journeys remain central to public transport choices. The Government provides an annual £43 million directly to local authorities through the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) to support local bus services.
Last year, Stoke-on-Trent City Council received £29,618 and Staffordshire County Council £699,869 from this grant. In addition to this, an extra £30 million was provided to local authorities in financial year 2020/21 to improve current bus services, or restore lost services where needed. Stoke-on-Trent City Council received £124,233 and Staffordshire County Council £583,372.
We have provided local authorities with the tools they need to improve local bus services through the Bus Services Act 2017 and we have committed to implement England’s first-ever long-term Bus Strategy.
Our Better Deal for Bus Users package will help begin to transform bus services across the country and additional investment of £5 billion announced by the Prime Minister last year, will overhaul bus and cycle links for regions outside London.
We have now delivered on innovative technological solutions, like our Bus Open Data Service which lays the foundation for app developers to provide passengers with the information they need to travel with confidence.
Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the On-Street Residential Scheme continues to be available; and whether (a) Stoke-on-Trent City Council and (b) Staffordshire County Council has (i) applied for and (ii) been allocated funding under that scheme.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
The On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) continues to be available to help Local Authorities with the up-front cost of installing chargepoints to encourage drivers without off-street parking to make the switch to zero emission vehicles. The Government doubled funding this year to £20 million, to ensure that more local authorities and residents can benefit from the scheme.
Neither Stoke-on-Trent City Council nor Staffordshire County Council have applied to the Scheme thus far. With funding still available for this financial year we would encourage all authorities to get in touch with the Scheme’s delivery partner, the Energy Saving Trust, at the earliest opportunity.
Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to connect more towns to the railway network.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
As part of the levelling-up agenda, the Government announced the £500 million Restoring Your Railway fund in January to deliver its manifesto commitment and start reopening lines and stations, including connecting towns to the railway network. This year we have announced development funding for 25 proposals. This Restoring Your Railways expenditure is included as part of our continued significant investment in the rail network.
Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to improve the condition of roads in (a) Stoke-on-Trent and (b) Staffordshire.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
The Department for Transport is providing (a) Stoke-on-Trent with over £5.5 million and (b) Staffordshire with over £37 million through the Transport Infrastructure Investment Fund this financial year. It is for each Council to decide on how this funding is utilised based on their highway asset management strategy, needs, and priorities.
In addition, Stoke-on-Trent council were successful in their £5 million ‘Keep Stoke Moving’ key corridor Challenge Fund bid in February this year. Staffordshire County Council also successfully bid for £2.35 million to upgrade Chetwynd Bridge, a historic Grade II* structure.
The Department for Transport held two consultation exercises in 2014 to seek views from local highway authorities, organisations, and members of the public regarding how we allocate funding to local highway authorities. Following the consultation exercises, it was agreed that we would allocate funding to each highway authority in England, outside London, based on road lengths and highways assets such as bridges and lighting columns for which they are responsible. This is the most fair and proportionate way to distribute this funding.
Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to review the funding formula for road maintenance.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
The Department for Transport is providing (a) Stoke-on-Trent with over £5.5 million and (b) Staffordshire with over £37 million through the Transport Infrastructure Investment Fund this financial year. It is for each Council to decide on how this funding is utilised based on their highway asset management strategy, needs, and priorities.
In addition, Stoke-on-Trent council were successful in their £5 million ‘Keep Stoke Moving’ key corridor Challenge Fund bid in February this year. Staffordshire County Council also successfully bid for £2.35 million to upgrade Chetwynd Bridge, a historic Grade II* structure.
The Department for Transport held two consultation exercises in 2014 to seek views from local highway authorities, organisations, and members of the public regarding how we allocate funding to local highway authorities. Following the consultation exercises, it was agreed that we would allocate funding to each highway authority in England, outside London, based on road lengths and highways assets such as bridges and lighting columns for which they are responsible. This is the most fair and proportionate way to distribute this funding.