Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she expects the first phase of East-West Rail to open this year; and what her Department's planned timetable is for the opening of the (a) Bletchley to Bedford and (b) Bedford to Cambridge sections.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department is working closely with Chiltern and other partners to confirm a start date for the service. We are looking forward to commencing services as soon as all necessary approvals and infrastructure are in place. Passenger services will commence once train testing and driver training have been completed. As for the second and third connections phases; the Government has committed to accelerating work to deliver EWR services between Oxford-Bedford. The full Oxford-Cambridge service is subject to an application for a Development Consent Order and is planned to commence from the mid-2030s.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the scale of the revenue certainty mechanism will be; and how market pricing will be achieved.
Answered by Mike Kane
The SAF Bill was introduced on Wednesday 14th May in the House of Commons, with legislative measures to implement an industry-funded revenue certainty mechanism to support SAF production in the UK.
The Bill confirms the government’s position that any funding required should come from a levy on aviation fuel suppliers.
Further work is required to design the allocation process for the revenue certainty mechanism. This will include greater detail regarding the size and timings of the contracts, as well as parameters around pricing. We will maintain a close and ongoing dialogue with industry on options for achieving cost control within the revenue certainty mechanism.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department consulted the Environment Agency on the flooding components of the Oxford Rail Station Phase 2 project.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Network Rail consulted the Environment Agency on its Environmental Impact Assessment as part of the planning approval process for the Oxford Rail Station Phase 2 project.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the consultation entitled Smarter regulation: proposed changes to legislation for electrically assisted pedal cycles, which closed on 25 April 2024, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of amending regulations on (a) the classification of and (b) enabling throttle assistance for electrically-assisted pedal cycles.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department is carefully considering the responses to the consultation, and will make an announcement on the way forward as soon as possible.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she intends to establish a Road Safety Investigation Branch.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The safety of our roads is an absolute priority for this Government. We are committed to delivering a new Road Safety Strategy – the first in over a decade. We will set out next steps on this in due course.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her Department's planned timetable is for the completion of the Oxfordshire Connect programme.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Minister of State for Rail, Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill, and senior officials from my Department are having regular discussions with Network Rail (NR) to press them for a credible delivery plan for the completion of the Oxford station project and Botley Road bridge.
Lord Hendy has written to you and other stakeholders with details of improvements being made to alleviate the effects of the bridge closure. He and the Chief Executive of NR will come to meet you, and other stakeholders, as soon as NR are certain of the delivery plan.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with Network Rail on the status of the Oxfordshire Connect rail programme.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Minister of State for Rail, Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill, and senior officials from my Department are having regular discussions with Network Rail (NR) to press them for a credible delivery plan for the completion of the Oxford station project and Botley Road bridge.
Lord Hendy has written to you and other stakeholders with details of improvements being made to alleviate the effects of the bridge closure. He and the Chief Executive of NR will come to meet you, and other stakeholders, as soon as NR are certain of the delivery plan.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of car insurance premiums in the last 12 months.
Answered by Guy Opperman
My Department has not made an assessment of the rising cost of motor insurance premiums over the past year. However, officials regularly liaise with representatives of the motor insurance industry on a variety of issues such as the cost of insurance. I will also soon meet with the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, and industry, to discuss this matter further.
The Government is determined that insurers should treat customers fairly and firms are required to do so under the Financial Conduct Authority rules. It is the responsibility of individual motor insurers to set their premiums and the terms and conditions of their policies, and the Government does not intervene in or seek to control the market.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had recent discussions with the Financial Conduct Authority on the regulation of car insurance premiums.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate car insurance premiums. However, the Government is determined that insurers should treat customers fairly and firms are required to do so under the FCA rules.
Department for Transport officials regularly liaise with representatives of the motor insurance industry on a variety of issues such as the cost of insurance. It is the responsibility of individual motor insurers to set their premiums and the terms and conditions of their policies, and the Government does not intervene in or seek to control the market.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department made an assessment of the potential (a) impact of extending Network Rail's closure of Botley Road on local (i) residents and (ii) businesses and (b) merits of alternative proposals prior to granting permission for that extension.
Answered by Huw Merriman
Network Rail, which is delivering the works to increase capacity at Oxford station considered a number of options working closely with Oxford City Council before concluding that the closure of Botley Road should be extended to October 2024. Network Rail will continue to work with local residents, businesses and other stakeholders to minimise disruption.