Asked by: Neale Hanvey (Alba Party - Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the recommendations of the UK Trade and Business Commission's report entitled Trading our way to prosperity, published May 2023.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
His Majesty’s Government is getting on with the job of delivering economic growth for the whole of the UK. Our trade strategy is to trade our way to prosperity. We are driving prosperity by seeking to strengthen the World Trade Organisation, reform the global rulebook, protect UK business, and open markets by signing high-quality trade deals and removing trade barriers.
Asked by: Neale Hanvey (Alba Party - Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish all (a) RAF bases and (b) airports in the UK that have been used by the USA for (i) military purposes and (ii) operations in the Middle East in the last 12 months.
Answered by James Heappey
The Ministry of Defence does not hold all of this information.
In addition to the RAF bases occupied by United States Visiting Forces in the UK, the US military routinely uses or transits through other UK military and civilian airports as well as our overseas military bases, for operational, training or transitory purposes. This includes US military aircraft as well as military personnel travelling via civilian means using appropriate NATO travel documentation. This is also a testament to the depth of our defence partnership with the United States.
Asked by: Neale Hanvey (Alba Party - Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, where the US maintains air bases in the UK; and for what purpose each base exists.
Answered by James Heappey
The United States Visiting Forces are present in the UK at the invitation of HM Government. Bases are made available to the United States under the terms of the NATO Status of Forces Agreement and Visiting Forces Act. The continued presence of United States military forces in the UK forms an important part of the United States' on-going wider commitment to NATO and the security of Europe, with bases at RAF Alconbury, RAF Molesworth, RAF Croughton, RAF Fairford, RAF Lakenheath, RAF Menwith Hill and RAF Mildenhall.
Asked by: Neale Hanvey (Alba Party - Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether UK airports were used by the US military for rendition flights for the transfer of terrorist suspects.
Answered by James Heappey
There were two previously declared incidents relating to the US in 2002, where British Territory was used for this purpose. The transition of two detainees through Diego Garcia was reported to Parliament by the then Foreign Secretary in February 2008. Since those events in 2002 the UK has not authorised any other instances of other countries rendering terrorism suspects through the territorial land, air or seas of the UK or our overseas territories.
Asked by: Neale Hanvey (Alba Party - Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to tackle flooding on the railway network following Storm Babet.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Government expects Network Rail to prepare for a range of severe weather events, drawing on previous experience. However, during some particularly severe weather events, it will not be possible, or safe, to run services. We have monitored the situation and engaged with affected operators to understand the impact on passengers following Storm Babet.
Network Rail’s resilience taskforce was established in 2022 and is being led by independent experts. Their recommendations to improve weather resilience on the network are already being put into effect, including renewed investment in Network Rail’s capability and use of weather data and technology, upskilling of its workforce, and improving inspections and examinations of drainage assets.
Flooding is likely to become more frequent as a result of climate change. In 2022 the Department for Transport published the High-Level Output Specification (HLOS) which outlines the Secretary of State’s objectives for Network Rail’s operation, maintenance and renewal of railway infrastructure in England and Wales between 2024 and 2029—tied to a £44.1 billion funding settlement. The HLOS is clear that the rail network must be as resilient as reasonably possible to the effects of climate change and extreme weather, including flooding. Scotland has a further £4.2bn available, with the Scottish Government responsible for determining priorities for the Scottish network.
Asked by: Neale Hanvey (Alba Party - Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps with Network Rail to (a) put additional resources in place and (b) deploy specialist teams to deal with drainage issues across the railway network as part of Network Rail’s Modernising Maintenance project, in the context of the derailment at Carmont near Stonehaven in August 2020.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Maintaining world leading levels of rail safety remains our top priority in rail. My department has committed £44.1 billion to Network Rail to spend on operations, maintenance, and renewal work on the network in England and Wales during Control Period 7. A further £4.2 billion has been made available to Network Rail Scotland for similar purposes to drive improvements in safety and reliability. Network Rail is responsible for mitigating risks associated with drainage issues within this funding settlement and in accordance with rail safety legislation.
Asked by: Neale Hanvey (Alba Party - Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with Network Rail on (a) allocating additional resources, (b) deploying specialist drainage teams and (c) recruiting and retaining qualified maintenance staff to (i) pre-empt and (ii) mitigate the impact of (A) flooding and (B) landslips on railway network infrastructure.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Maintaining world leading levels of rail safety remains our top priority in rail. My department has committed £44.1 billion to Network Rail to spend on operations, maintenance, and renewal work on the network in England and Wales during Control Period 7. A further £4.2 billion has been made available to Network Rail Scotland for similar purposes to drive improvements in safety and reliability. Network Rail is responsible for mitigating risks associated with drainage issues within this funding settlement and in accordance with rail safety legislation.
Asked by: Neale Hanvey (Alba Party - Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he is taking steps to help provide additional resources to tackle flooding on the railway network following Storm Babet.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Network Rail’s resilience taskforce was established in 2022 and is being led by independent experts. Their recommendations to improve weather resilience on the network are already being put into effect, including renewed investment in Network Rail’s capability and use of weather data and technology, upskilling of its workforce, and improving inspections and examinations of drainage assets.
Flooding is likely to become more frequent as a result of climate change. In 2022 the Department for Transport published the High-Level Output Specification (HLOS) which outlines the Secretary of State’s objectives for Network Rail’s operation, maintenance and renewal of railway infrastructure in England and Wales between 2024 and 2029—tied to a £44.1 billion funding settlement. The HLOS is clear that the rail network must be as resilient as reasonably possible to the effects of climate change and extreme weather, including flooding. Scotland has a further £4.2bn available, with the Scottish Government responsible for determining priorities for the Scottish network.
The Department for Transport is developing a transport adaptation strategy, taking a holistic approach to addressing the transport-related risks in the UK Climate Change Risk Assessment.
Asked by: Neale Hanvey (Alba Party - Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with Network Rail on the Modernising Maintenance project.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department regularly holds meetings with Network Rail, where ongoing projects and reforms are discussed including Network Rail’s Maintenance Modernisation reform project.
Asked by: Neale Hanvey (Alba Party - Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the oral evidence of the Minister for Energy and Climate to the Scottish Affairs Committee's inquiry into Hydrogen and carbon capture in Scotland, HC 83 Q258, on 16 January 2023, across which financial years the £40 million of Government expenditure on the Scottish cluster for carbon capture utilisation and storage was allocated; and how much funding was provided in each of those financial years.
Answered by Graham Stuart
This information is being gathered. As soon as it is available, the information will be placed in the Libraries of the House.