Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that legal action is pursued against Volkswagen executives regarding that company's emissions scandal.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
Volkswagen's behaviour in installing defeat devices in its vehicles has been entirely unacceptable. Taking criminal action against Volkswagen is complex given that in legal terms the wrongdoing appears to have taken place outside the UK. It is for the German Government in the first instance to prosecute.
For this reason, it would be inappropriate to carry out a separate parallel UK criminal investigation. The Department reserves the option to do so, however, based on the evidence from any German prosecution.
Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 July 2018 to Question 159567 on Severn Tunnel: Closures, whether his Department holds information on the costs of the engineering work during the temporary closure of the Severn Tunnel in 2018.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
Network Rail hold the detail of these costs. This is part of the over £5bn investment in the Great Western route to deliver faster, more reliable services and new trains with thousands more seats.
Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 29 June 2018 to Question 155763, on Severn Tunnel: Closures, what estimate his Department has made of the costs of the engineering work during the temporary closure of the Severn Tunnel in 2018.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
The costs of engineering work during the temporary closure of the Severn Tunnel are factored into the overall programme costs. We are investing over £5bn in the Great Western route to deliver faster, more reliable services and new trains with thousands more seats.
Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the economic effect of the temporary closure of the Severn Tunnel.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
Network Rail have closed the Severn Tunnel in preparation for electrification from London to Cardiff from 16th June – 7th July.
In preparation for the £5 billion modernisation of the Great Western Mainline, the Department funded the Swindon to Kemble redoubling project to provide a robust diversionary route for passengers and freight to South Wales.
Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether electrical equipment installed during the previous closure of the Severn Tunnel has rusted.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
The overhead conductor system is showing early signs of deterioration because of the wet and corrosive environment in the Severn Tunnel.
Network Rail have identified this early on and are addressing this matter prior to energisation of the electrification system.