Asked by: Paula Sherriff (Labour - Dewsbury)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his policy is on the devolution of transport policing to Scotland.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government is committed to implementing the recommendation of the Smith Commission that the functions of the British Transport Police in Scotland should be devolved. Legislative competence was devolved through the Scotland Act 2016, and a Scottish Government Bill which makes provision about the arrangements for the Police Service of Scotland to police railways and railway property has recently completed its passage through the Scottish Parliament.
In devolving the functions, we are committed to ensuring a smooth and seamless transition which ensures effective arrangements are in place for cross-border railway policing once responsibilities have been transferred, so that we continue to have a railway policing service which works for passengers, staff and the railway.
Asked by: Paula Sherriff (Labour - Dewsbury)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, who the diversity champion is on his departmental board.
Answered by John Hayes
The Permanent Secretary, Philip Rutnam, is the Department for Transport’s (DfT’s) corporate Diversity Champion on the Departmental Board and is accountable for the delivery of the DfT Equality Objectives. He is supported by Directors General and Agency Chief Executives, who champion the specific Protected Characteristics of sex, race, age, disability, sexual orientation, pregnancy & maternity, marriage & civil partnership, transgender, and religion & belief.
Asked by: Paula Sherriff (Labour - Dewsbury)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 1 December 2016 to Question 55070, which funds are potentially available for redevelopment of Mirfield railway station.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Transport and Network Rail are considering significant rail capacity and train performance improvement works coupled with speed improvements on the Transpennine Main Line in the Mirfield area. This may require the station platforms to be moved and any new works would need to meet modern accessibility standards.
As part of their franchise agreement obligations, Arriva Rail North has committed to invest £45m across its station estate through a Station Improvement Fund. There is a wide range of other funding sources that could also support any necessary investment, including from local authorities and local enterprise partnerships.
Asked by: Paula Sherriff (Labour - Dewsbury)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding has been made available to his Department for redevelopment of rural rail stations in the Autumn Statement 2016.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Autumn Statement announced £450 million to trial digital signalling technology to improve reliability, £5m development funding for Midlands Rail Hub, and £80m to accelerate the rollout of Smart Ticketing. This is in addition to the very substantial investment this Government is making in the railways, the largest since Victorian times.
Through the ongoing Franchise Process, the Government requires train operators to work with Community Rail Partnerships to support rural rail stations and services. The Government provides funding to the Association of Community Rail Partnerships (“ACoRP”), and for the Designated Community Rail Development Fund.
Additionally, the Government supports improvements at all railway stations, including rural railway stations, through the National Station Improvement Programme, Station Commercial Project Facility, and Access for All.
Asked by: Paula Sherriff (Labour - Dewsbury)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much Transport for London will pay to the British Transport Police's budget in 2016-17.
Answered by Claire Perry
The British Transport Police (BTP) Authority has approved a budget for 2016-17 which includes an amount of £66.933 million in respect of the Transport for London (TFL) Police Service Agreement and overhead charges. The figure excludes any additional policing services which are provided by the BTP at TfL’s request on a commercial basis.
Asked by: Paula Sherriff (Labour - Dewsbury)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans there are to sell property of the British Transport Police.
Answered by Claire Perry
The British Transport Police does not own any of its properties, hence it has no plans to sell any of them.
Asked by: Paula Sherriff (Labour - Dewsbury)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what commercial sensitivity applies to section 106 (staff using handheld tablets) and section 28.1 (movement of staff) of the agreement between NXET Trains Limited and his Department of 15 July 2014 regarding the Essex Thameside franchise.
Answered by Claire Perry
The provisions mentioned have been redacted at the request of either the Director General for Rail or the Secretary of State in accordance with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Asked by: Paula Sherriff (Labour - Dewsbury)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether there is any provision in the agreement between NXET Trains Limited and his Department of 15 July 2014 on the Essex Thameside franchise relating to the closure of ticket offices.
Answered by Claire Perry
The agreement between NXET Trains Limited and the Department for Transport is in the public domain and can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/486697/essex-thameside.pdf
Asked by: Paula Sherriff (Labour - Dewsbury)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 29 February 2016 to Question 27209, on British Transport Police: finance, what assessment he has made of the operational implications of the planned reduction in the British Transport Police budget in 2016-17.
Answered by Claire Perry
Setting the budget of the British Transport Police (BTP) is a matter for the British Transport Police Authority. However, during the course of discussions on the spending review, the Department made clear to the BTP that it considered that any efficiencies that could be achieved should not materially impact on the operational policing capability of the BTP. I also understand that the reduction in the BTP’s budget in 2016-17 relates to the non-core policing budget, which is policing provided by the BTP at railway operators’ request on a commercial contract basis, rather than the core police budget which is set by the Authority.
Asked by: Paula Sherriff (Labour - Dewsbury)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason a number of the Committed Obligations agreed between NXET Trains Limited and his Department on 15 July 2014 regarding the Essex Thameside franchise are redacted in the published version of the agreement.
Answered by Claire Perry
Where text has been omitted from the document, this is because the Director General Rail or Secretary of State has decided to exclude the text in accordance with the provisions within the Freedom of Information Act 2000.