Asked by: Kate Hollern (Labour - Blackburn)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he plans to take to address the fact that Network Rail did not deliver the Great Western electrification scheme on time.
Answered by Paul Maynard
In 2015, in response to cost increases and schedule delays on aspects of Network Rail’s investment programme, Sir Peter Hendy was asked to replan the programme in a way that was both affordable and deliverable.
In response to the recommendations of the Bowe Review into the planning of the current rail investment period, Network Rail have undertaken an Enhancements Improvement Plan which has strengthened, among other things, cost estimation, project and portfolio monitoring, project delivery, and project governance.
Four electrification projects were deferred on the Great Western Programme in autumn 2016 in order to address cost pressures within the current rail investment period covering 2014-2019 and to bring forward delivery of infrastructure that will allow passengers to benefit from further service improvements. We will continue to assess all elements of the Programme to ensure they remain deliverable and affordable.
Network Rail are delivering the Great Western electrification programme to the revised schedule set out in the Hendy Review.
Asked by: Kate Hollern (Labour - Blackburn)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress has been made on his Department's rail electrification programme.
Answered by Andrew Jones
Since 2010, the Department has overseen the successful delivery of 50 miles of electrified track as compared to the ten miles which were delivered in the 13 years from 1997 to 2010. Electrification between Liverpool and Manchester, and Liverpool and Wigan, was completed earlier this year.
The work to electrify and upgrade the North TransPennine has resumed, as announced on 30 September 2015 by the Secretary of State. When the North of England electrification programme is finished, the whole route from Liverpool to Newcastle (via Manchester, Leeds and York) will be fully electrified.
Asked by: Kate Hollern (Labour - Blackburn)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to reintroduce National Road Safety targets.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Conservative Manifesto 2015 had a commitment to reduce the number of cyclists and other road users killed or injured on our roads every year. We are working closely with road safety groups to consider what more can be done and we believe that every death is a tragedy and is one too many.
The Government has not set road safety targets for local authorities or the police, and is not considering reinstating them. We do not believe that further persuasion is needed on the importance of road safety through “Whitehall knows best” diktats. However, local authorities and the police are free to set their own targets if they find this useful.
Asked by: Kate Hollern (Labour - Blackburn)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many accidents were reported involving mobility scooters in 2014.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Department introduced the collection of data on personal injury road accidents involving motorised mobility scooters in 2011. A total of 29 out of 44 police forces supplied data in 2014. Across these forces, the number of reported personal injury road accidents involving mobility scooters in 2014 is given in the table below.
Number of reported personal injury road accidents involving mobility scooters: GB, 2014
Severity | 2014 (1) |
Fatal | 9 |
Serious | 46 |
Slight | 153 |
All severities | 208 |
(1) Date from 29 out of 44 police forces
The Department expects that all forces will supply data by the end of 2016.
Asked by: Kate Hollern (Labour - Blackburn)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress he has made with the insurance industry on (a) identifying products that might be offered to drivers of mobility scooters and (b) how such products could be used to promote safety.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Government is currently considering mobility scooters in the context of a European Court of Justice ruling about motor insurance known as “the Vnuk judgment”. The effect of this judgment is to broaden the circumstances in which third party insurance is required; and the range of vehicles subject to insurance requirements. We will need to amend our domestic legislation to comply with the judgment.
In March 2015 we held a workshop to help us understand the particular issues that apply to mobility scooters and reach a decision on the position of these vehicles in the context of the Motor Insurance Directive.
Officials are currently preparing an impact assessment which will consider, amongst other things, whether to impose compulsory insurance or derogate from insurance requirements, certain categories of vehicle. We will, of course, consult before making any changes to the legislation.