Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the (a) adequacy of the condition of the Mid Cheshire Railway line and (b) potential merits of increasing the speed of trains on the line.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department has provided £44.1billion to Network Rail over the next Control Period (2024-29) for the operations and maintenance renewals budget. They will use this funding to monitor asset conditions and renewal opportunities including Weaver Viaduct. It is for Network Rail rather than the Department to make an assessment. The Department is supporting local partners on options to enhance the route including line speeds; these proposals are not funded as they are in early development and are subject to normal business case approvals.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has held discussions with National Highways on changes to (a) the delivery of the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine upgrade project and (b) the suppliers contracted to deliver the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine upgrade project.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
National Highways is a Government-owned company that is operationally independent and responsible for delivering the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine scheme, including managing its own commercial agreements with suppliers, engaging and consulting with stakeholders and ensuring the scheme is delivered to plan. An Application for a Development Consent Order was submitted in June 2022, with the six-month examination of this Application recently ending on 29 May 2023. The Examining Authority now has up to three months to provide the Secretary of State with its recommendation as to whether the Development Consent Order should be granted consent. The Secretary of State then has three months to make the final decision. This is an independent process separate to the delivery oversight provided by the Department.
DfT ministers regularly meet the Chief Executive of National Highways to discuss, at a strategic level, delivery of the second Road Investment Strategy (RIS 2), of which the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine scheme is a part. DfT officials meet with National Highways officials regularly to assess scheme progress against National Highways’ Delivery Plan. For the A66 scheme, start of works is forecast by March 2024 with open for traffic in Road Period 3 (2025-2030), subject to the outcome of the Development Consent Order process.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what meetings executive directors in (a) his Department and (b) National Highways have held with stakeholders on the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine upgrade in each of the last three years.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
National Highways is a Government-owned company that is operationally independent and responsible for delivering the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine scheme, including managing its own commercial agreements with suppliers, engaging and consulting with stakeholders and ensuring the scheme is delivered to plan. An Application for a Development Consent Order was submitted in June 2022, with the six-month examination of this Application recently ending on 29 May 2023. The Examining Authority now has up to three months to provide the Secretary of State with its recommendation as to whether the Development Consent Order should be granted consent. The Secretary of State then has three months to make the final decision. This is an independent process separate to the delivery oversight provided by the Department.
DfT ministers regularly meet the Chief Executive of National Highways to discuss, at a strategic level, delivery of the second Road Investment Strategy (RIS 2), of which the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine scheme is a part. DfT officials meet with National Highways officials regularly to assess scheme progress against National Highways’ Delivery Plan. For the A66 scheme, start of works is forecast by March 2024 with open for traffic in Road Period 3 (2025-2030), subject to the outcome of the Development Consent Order process.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had discussions with National Highways on (a) Early Warning Notifications from the suppliers on the A66 North Trans-Pennine project and (b) changes to the projected costs and delivery timelines for the A66 North Trans-Pennine project.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
National Highways is a Government-owned company that is operationally independent and responsible for delivering the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine scheme, including managing its own commercial agreements with suppliers, engaging and consulting with stakeholders and ensuring the scheme is delivered to plan. An Application for a Development Consent Order was submitted in June 2022, with the six-month examination of this Application recently ending on 29 May 2023. The Examining Authority now has up to three months to provide the Secretary of State with its recommendation as to whether the Development Consent Order should be granted consent. The Secretary of State then has three months to make the final decision. This is an independent process separate to the delivery oversight provided by the Department.
DfT ministers regularly meet the Chief Executive of National Highways to discuss, at a strategic level, delivery of the second Road Investment Strategy (RIS 2), of which the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine scheme is a part. DfT officials meet with National Highways officials regularly to assess scheme progress against National Highways’ Delivery Plan. For the A66 scheme, start of works is forecast by March 2024 with open for traffic in Road Period 3 (2025-2030), subject to the outcome of the Development Consent Order process.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent (a) correspondence and (b) discussions he has had with National Highways on the delivery schedule and project costs for the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine Project; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
National Highways is a Government-owned company that is operationally independent and responsible for delivering the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine scheme, including managing its own commercial agreements with suppliers, engaging and consulting with stakeholders and ensuring the scheme is delivered to plan. An Application for a Development Consent Order was submitted in June 2022, with the six-month examination of this Application recently ending on 29 May 2023. The Examining Authority now has up to three months to provide the Secretary of State with its recommendation as to whether the Development Consent Order should be granted consent. The Secretary of State then has three months to make the final decision. This is an independent process separate to the delivery oversight provided by the Department.
DfT ministers regularly meet the Chief Executive of National Highways to discuss, at a strategic level, delivery of the second Road Investment Strategy (RIS 2), of which the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine scheme is a part. DfT officials meet with National Highways officials regularly to assess scheme progress against National Highways’ Delivery Plan. For the A66 scheme, start of works is forecast by March 2024 with open for traffic in Road Period 3 (2025-2030), subject to the outcome of the Development Consent Order process.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether it remains his Department's policy for Costain to be a delivery partner for the A66 North Trans-Pennine project.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
National Highways is a Government owned company which is operationally independent and is responsible for managing commercial agreements with its suppliers.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he made on the potential merits of future restrictions on salt mining in mid Cheshire in the context of the configuration of High Speed Rail 2.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
On 3 March 2023, HS2 Ltd published a report ‘Crewe to Manchester: Understanding the Ground Risk across the Cheshire Plain’ which can be found on the gov.uk website. This document provides a review of ground conditions, associated risks, and mitigation measures in place across the Cheshire Plain. In addition, HS2 Ltd continue to engage with the operators of the Salt Industry infrastructure in Cheshire to ensure their safe continued operations during the construction and operation of the proposed scheme.
The areas related to the HS2 route over the Cheshire Salts are covered by Safeguarding Directions which are an established planning tool used to protect land required by major infrastructure projects. They require Local Planning Authorities to consult with HS2 Ltd on any undetermined planning applications. Safeguarding is periodically reviewed and updated during the project to reflect up to date land requirements.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department plans to publish its strategy for Low Carbon Fuels.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Department will publish a Low Carbon Fuels Strategy later this year, with the aim to support investment in the sector by setting out a vision for the deployment of low carbon fuels across transport modes up to 2050.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact on the environment of capacity limitations on volumetric concrete mixers.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Department has not made a recent assessment of the potential impacts on the environment of the capacity limitations on volumetric concrete mixers (VCMs).
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the potential financial impact on the haulage industry of capacity limitations on volumetric concrete mixers.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Department has not made a recent assessment of the potential financial impacts on the haulage industry on the capacity of volumetric concrete mixers (VCMs).